Phil Mickelson risks upsetting PGA Tour bosses further with outlandish LIV Golf comments

Phil Mickelson has commented on what he wants his golf legacy to be.

Phil Mickelson insists he wants LIV Golf to be his ‘legacy’ in comments that are likely to ruffle feathers on the PGA Tour. The golf icon was one of several high-profile stars who ditched the PGA Tour to sign a lucrative contract with LIV Golf when Saudi Arabia invested in the sport in 2022.

Mickelson won 45 events on the PGA Tour before ditching it to sign a reported £155million deal with the Saudi Public Investment Fund-backed LIV Golf tour. Despite his previous success, the 53-year-old says he wants to be remembered for his work over the last two years.

He told the Fairway to Heaven Podcast: “Well, I mean I think hopefully LIV Golf and helping get the game to a younger crowd, helping get the game to younger players and giving them infrastructure to become great, helping to grow the game on a global basis. Like, all the things LIV Golf is doing. I feel very connected to the success.”

Asked to reiterate whether he wanted his ‘legacy’ to be his work with LIV Golf, Mickelson continued: “I sure hope so. Because it wasn’t an option — like elevated events and equity in the tour wasn’t an option for the guys that came to LIV.

And so the fact that we are invested and involved and integrated into the success of LIV — and I’m happy for the guys on the Tour that they now have all that stuff because they should.

But where we’re at, we’re attracting a different crowd. And we’re attracting a global crowd. And that’s critical to the long-term success of the game.

“And it’s something that the old model of the Tour would never transcend into because you couldn’t get all the guys to go travel the world and play over there and again attract players that don’t play the game of golf to want to watch.

“I think LIV Golf is doing that and I’m hopeful that my connection with LIV and hopeful the success of LIV will be what I’m known for.”

Mickelson admitted that the first two years on the LIV tour had been tough, with fans split over his decision to join the breakaway tour.