LIV could still ‘gut’ PGA Tour, warns Phil Mickelson

Voice over: Michael Robles
Writer: James Corrigan
Video editor: Lance Keller

LIV Golf is ready to form two new teams if it is successful
in signing more big names in the league’s off-season, with
Phil Mickelson acknowledging that breakaway circuit could
still “gut” the PGA Tour.
As the second season reaches its climax at the $50 million
Team Grand Final, attention is turning to the 2024
campaign, as for the first time players are relegated with
arrivals filling in the available berths.
A quartet including Brooks Koepka’s brother, Chase,
have
already lost their spots
– worth a minimum of $1.75m a
year – and many others who finished outside the top 24 in
the individual standings in the 48-man roster are also in
danger.
Phil Mickelson warned earlier in the week
here at Trump
Doral that former PGA Tour colleagues have been in
touch inquiring about joining and the six-time major winner
told Telegraph Sport that he is certain there will be another
exodus. “I don’t think that, I know that,” he said. “There’s a
lot more players that want to come than there are spots.”
Mickelson expanded on this claim on Saturday, making it
sound yet more ominous
if the PGA Tour and the Saudi
Public Investment Fund do not reach a deal
in their
ongoing negotiations. Mickelson would not reveal any
names, but he is adamant that they would be big enough
to alarm Sawgrass HQ.
“I’m excited about who’s coming for next year and over
time, we’ll just keep getting better and better and getting
better and better players,” Mickelson told Golfweek. “I
know that, just like [Tour executive] Jimmy Dunne said in
Congress, like it’s exactly what’s gonna happen.”
To rewind,
at July’s US Congressional hearing
into the
mooted merger with PIF – the $700 billion uber-kitty that
bankrolls LIV – Dunne informed the politicians there was
no choice but to go to the table as if LIV continued to lure
just five Tour players per season hen “in five years, they
can gut us”.
This was a provocative message from Mickelson and not
everyone believes his bullish pronouncement. Brandel
Chamblee, the former Tour winner turned Golf Channel
analyst, ridiculed the six-time major winner. “He says other
stars will join,” Chamblee said. “But what he means is, he
hopes other stars will, just like all those do who find
themselves catastrophically on the wrong side of an
issue.”
Chamblee later recognised that it is “inevitable others will
join” but insisted that “very few stars that truly make a
difference”. However, he also conceded that “[Jon] Rahm
worries me a bit”.
The transfer window opens on Monday. Four new players
will come from the LIV Q-school in Abu Dhabi in
December and acting COO Gary Davidson estimates
there could be four to six other golfers dumped to make
way for the incomers. However, there is room for another
three teams if necessary.
“The shotgun start is a core part of what LIV is, so we only
have provision to go up to 15 teams from 12,” Davidson
said. “I don’t think we’ll get to 15 next year. But yeah,
there’s a possibility we might add a team or two.