There hasn’t been any animosity between the American and the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson, the biggest name in the sport, joined LIV Golf last summer.
Frank Nobilo, a former professional golfer, acknowledged that he was “saddened” by Phil Mickelson’s public split from the PGA Tour and his newfound loyalty to LIV Golf.
With the LIV setup, Nobilo is the most recent professional golfer to voice his opinion regarding Mickelson’s decision to depart the PGA Tour in pursuit of new opportunities. After the Saudi-backed series was formed last summer, Mickelson spearheaded the exodus, and it’s safe to say he left with a bang.
In an interview with Fire Pit Collective, the six-time major champion appeared to have disregarded Saudi Arabia’s dismal human rights record in an attempt to seize a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to “reshape” the PGA Tour. As a result, his decision was well-documented.
Mickelson’s remarks caused a stir and effectively ended his thirty-year association with the PGA Tour, only months after he had won the PGA Championship and become the oldest major champion in sports history. Mickelson’s abrupt change of direction was hard for Nobilo to accept.
“I look at that Phil — as a contemporary as well; I played a lot against him — that I admire his skill and ability,” he told the Five Clubs Podcast. “And then I see the statesman role, which is really what it is now, and it’s very disastrous. It saddens me.
“The books that are written, and obviously at the moment we’re only hearing the bad stuff about Phil — they’re all true, to be honest. I’ve suffered with Phil, whether it’s a Presidents Cup on the other side and some of the things that I know how he can behave.”
Opinion in the sport has been divided by Mickelson’s fallout, with his once-dazzling reputation as a fan favorite now tarnished. It makes Nobilo’s switch to the HyFlyers captain even harder to accept. “I am also aware that, when we requested a signature from Phil on a Masters flag for our own foundation, Amy [Mickelson’s wife] and Phil used to return two, not one.
“Unfortunately, Phil will always have two personalities, which is unfortunate. That’s the sad aspect of it at the moment.” Mickelson’s opposition to the PGA Tour has only grown stronger in the year and a half that have passed since his departure, despite news earlier this summer that the two tours were going to collaborate on a soon-to-be-signed off framework agreement.
As of right now, talks are still in progress, and in 2024, LIV and the PGA Tour plan to continue operating independently. Mickelson stirred things up once more, saying he has been fielding calls from Tour players who want to follow in his footsteps and become part of the LIV setup, even with a proposed peace treaty in sight.
“Players want to be a part of LIV when they look at it,” he asserted. “Everyone in this room is content and loving what we are doing, as well as the collaborative nature of it, each other, and the friendship that accompanies playing golf all over the world and the perks that come with being a part of this tour.
“There’s a lot of players that see that and want to be a part of it. The question is how many spots are available? There’s a lot more players that want to come than there are spots.”
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