Phil Mickelson: The End of My Playing Career May Be Approaching
With only one top-20 finish on the LIV Golf tour this season and failing to make the cut in two of golf's four majors, Phil Mickelson stated on Wednesday that he will not continue if he is unable to compete at a high level.
The 54-year-old, a six-time major champion, signed a reported $200 million contract with LIV in 2022 and is the captain of the HyFlyers, a team in which he also holds an equity stake.
"I see glimpses and my teammates see glimpses of me performing at the level I expect, but I am also realistic with myself. If I am unable to do so, I will step aside and allow someone else to take the HyFlyers to new heights," Mickelson said during a call ahead of LIV's Individual Championship on September 13-15 at Bolingbrook Golf Club in Bolingbrook, Illinois.
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"I will be participating in every major on the regular tour next year and for the next six to seven years, I will be competing in three out of the four majors. I would love to have the opportunity to win in those tournaments, but I also want to establish a sustainable culture that people strive to be a part of."
"How I go about doing that, whether it's through my own performance or from an external standpoint, I will be heavily involved with the HyFlyers for the rest of my life. As for my playing career, I will be realistic about where I am at."
Known for his exceptional short game, Mickelson is currently working on improving it after facing recent challenges.
"Surprisingly, if you look at the analytics, it's been my short game that has been my downfall in recent years. I have been ranked last in scrambling on the LIV tour. It has always been a strong aspect of my game, but in the past couple of years, it has been the reason for my lack of success. That is where my focus has been."
When asked about the potential merger between the PGA Tour and the Saudi backers of LIV Golf, Mickelson stated that it is not something he is concerned about.
"I am not involved in those discussions. At 54, my schedule and priorities are going to be very different from most players," he said.
"In the grand scheme of things, we need to do what is best for the players on LIV and for the players in the game of golf as a whole. We cannot just focus on one 54-year-old player, so my desires are not really relevant in that conversation."
