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Mickelson has not played in a PGA Tour event since missing the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January; he missed the Masters for the first time since 1994 and did not defend his PGA Championship title. His absence followed comments that he made to biographer Alan Shipnuck in which he said he was willing to overlook Saudi Arabia’s human rights record to get the new league off the ground.
“They’re scary motherf—–s to get involved with,” Mickelson said. “We know they killed [Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi] and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates.”
In a statement Monday, Mickelson said “he has made mistakes in my career in some of the things I have said and done. Taking time away and self-reflecting has been very humbling. I needed to start prioritizing the people that I love the most and work on becoming a better version of myself.”
Mickelson will join 47 other golfers in the LIV Golf event starting Thursday at Centurion Club; it will be a 54-hole tournament that will feature team competitions, shotgun starts and no cuts. Among the other golfers is two-time major winner Dustin Johnson, who reportedly will receive more than $100 million, plus any prize money he wins, to join the new league.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan has said any golfer who joins LIV Golf could be permanently banned, and the tour did not give its golfers permission to play in this week’s event. Greg Norman, the LIV Golf commissioner and chief executive, has countered that Monahan cannot legally ban players who wish to play on different tours.
In his statement, Mickelson said he intends to “play the majors,” which are not operated by the PGA Tour. He is eligible to play in next week’s U.S. Open, but a U.S. Golf Association official said last week that the group will decide on player eligibility on a case-by-case basis.
Last week, Royal Bank of Canada announced it was dropping its sponsorship of Johnson and 2010 U.S. Open winner Graeme McDowell, who also will play on the new circuit. Mickelson also has lost a number of sponsorships since his comments about the Saudis were made public, among them KPMG and Amstel Light.
Financial details of Mickelson’s deal with LIV Golf were not made public.
“I am ready to come back to play the game I love but after 32 years this new path is a fresh start, one that is exciting for me at this stage of my career and is clearly transformative, not just for myself, but ideally for the game and my peers,” Mickelson said in his statement. “I also love the progressive format and think it will be exciting for fans. Just as importantly, it will provide balance, allowing me to focus on a healthier approach to life on and off the course. I am incredibly grateful for what this game and the PGA Tour has given me. I would like to think that I have given back as well but now I am excited about this new opportunity.”
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