the golfer Phil Michaelsonwinner of six ‘majors’, will not leave the PGA Tour on his own feet, But he did not want to discuss whether he was allowed by the circuit for participation this week in the LIV Invitational, the “Super League” funded by Saudi Arabia.
Mickelson, who has not competed for four months, spoke to the press on Wednesday at the Centurion Club outside London, where the LIV Invitational will begin this Thursday, creating an earthquake in the golf world by attracting some of the best players. in the world based on the checkbook.
“I enjoyed my time on the PGA Tour and I have an opinion on what can be done and what should be done better., but I prefer those conversations to stay behind closed doors. Mind you, I’m not giving up my license on the PGAT Tour, but I don’t know what’s going to happen, ”Mickelson explained a day after former world number one Dustin Johnson left the PGA for his new relationship with LIV.
Mickelson spoke for the first time in four months after he insulted the Saudi regime in a biography, calling it “scary.” However, on Wednesday he added that this new circuit would help greatly to improve the state of golf, but he did not condone the human rights violations that have taken place in Saudi Arabia.
“I know what happened to Jamal Khashoggi (a journalist killed at the Saudi consulate in 2018) and I think it’s a horrible thing”Mickelson mentioned.
During his self-imposed four-month layoff, Mickelson missed the Masters for the first time in 28 years, as well as the PGA Championship, where he is defending his title. His intention was, after participating in the first stop of LIV, to play the US Open, where the American golf federation confirmed that LIV participants would not be banned.
Mickelson declined to comment on rumors that he was paid $ 200 million (€ 187 million) to participate in LIV, adding that contractual matters were being discussed privately.
The Saudi Arabian public investment fund (PIF) funded this golf tournament, with a prize pool of 200 million pounds (220 million euros). Its participants included Johnson, Sergio García and Lee Westwood.
After the London tournament another six will be played, four of them in the United States, one in Thailand and one in Saudi Arabia. Each of these stops offers more prize money than the highest -paid PGA Tour events, which raises fears of a player’s American tour drain. The goal of the creators of LIV is that the event will expand annually and in 2024 14 events will be held.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
