Phil Mickelson has been a long-time advocate of LIV Golf and its 54-hole, shotgun format, but it appears the six-time major champion is open to some changes being made
Phil Mickelson has revealed he is open to the idea of LIV Golf changing its format, a demand made by £450 million signing Jon Rahm prior to his move last month.
Having led the initial group of prominent players to join the breakaway league in the summer of 2022, Mickelson has become one of the most vocal supporters of League of Legends. Unlike its PGA Tour competitors, the LIV setup takes pride in having events that are played over 54 holes without a cut.
The start times for each day of play at each event vary as well. Generally, all 54 players tee off at the same time, with the exception of the two leaders on Sunday, who start their final round ten minutes later.
The HyFlyers captain was asked if the Saudi-backed series could potentially switch up the format of its final rounds before the start of LIV’s second full season. Specifically, he was asked if a traditional Sunday tee time would be implemented to create more drama around the final two players.
When asked if he would be receptive to the idea on the Pat McAfee Show, he said, “Yes. We are interested in feedback like this. As of right now, we are starting two groups off of No. 1, so one group is teed off by the leaders behind the shotgun start.
“But you’re right—that is what makes this product so fantastic. We can alter it because it is new and flexible. We’re going to do our best to create the greatest product possible, and we want to hear from you and our fans about their experiences. Indeed, that’s the main idea here.”
Rahm, the team’s most recent acquisition, will be pleased to hear that Mickelson is willing to support a format change. The Masters champion had previously downplayed the possibility of signing with Mickelson and company, citing the format as the primary obstacle, until his shocking switch in December.
Rahm acknowledged that, following his massive financial move, he was willing to stick with the format for the time being but expressed hope that the decision-makers would take some of his suggested changes into consideration going forward. Rahm remarked, “I find it very enticing how it’s grown into a global business and can impact golf globally in a meaningful way.”
“Despite all of the positive aspects of this movement, imperfections will always exist. I am able to live with that. It’s a machine that never stops expanding and changing. I’m hoping that LIV Golf’s executives will take my counsel to heart and implement some improvements that will benefit the game going forward.”
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