Phil Mickelson proclaimed he is “on the winning side” Thursday by playing for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf rather than the long-standing PGA Tour.
The former member of the PGA Tour said golfers will need to “pick a side” during a press conference in Saudi Arabia before the LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah this weekend.
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“I think going forward you have to pick a side. You have to pick what side do you think is going to be successful. And I firmly believe that I’m on the winning side of how things are going to evolve and shape in the coming years for professional golf,” Mickelson said.
Mickelson claimed he feels “reinvigorated” and “excited to play golf and compete” with LIV Golf, which he sees as “trending upwards,” as opposed to the PGA Tour, which he sees as “trending downwards.” He also touted how LIV Golf is perceived positively outside the two major countries for golf tournaments.
“Now the United States and the U.K. are not favorable to this. But everywhere outside in the world, LIV Golf is loved. And eventually, they come around, and they will be accepting of it,” Mickelson said.
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LIV Golf is funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The golf tour is seen widely as “sport-washing,” or an effort to fix the country’s public image through sporting events, especially in light of the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Former President Donald Trump has also received criticism from 9/11 survivors for hosting a LIV Golf event at his New Jersey golf club over the summer.
LIV Golf and the PGA Tour are in a legal battle over the latter’s choice to expel golfers who join the upstart league. The PGA Tour recently filed a countersuit against the Saudi-backed league.
