Phil Mickelson became the first high-profile star to sign with LIV Golf, but the six-time major champion’s contract expires soon with Tiger Woods suggesting a PGA Tour return may be possible
Tiger Woods extended an invitation to LIV Golf stars Phil Mickelson and others to rejoin the PGA Tour in the near future.
Prior to the lucrative Saudi-backed league’s first event in June 2022, Mickelson started the player exodus and vowed his allegiance to LIV Golf when it first surfaced as a possible competitor of the PGA Tour. The six-time major winner has been a constant on the contentious circuit ever since.
But it seems like his playing days may not be far off. Since each original team captain received a four-year contract, Mickelson’s biographer Alan Shipnuck speculates that the 53-year-old’snextcontract with LIV Golf may be one as a non-playing captain.
If Mickelson decides not to play when his contract expires, it will indicate that he had a brief tenure with LIV Golf. With only two top-10 finishes in 20 LIV events, Mickelson is finding it difficult to regain the form that elevated him to the status of one of the game’s greatest players while he was playing on the PGA Tour.
This week, Woods will compete in the Genesis Invitational alongside the biggest names on the PGA Tour. When asked if there was a way for stars from LIV Golf who were cut out or disappointed to rejoin the tour, Woods refused to rule it out.
However, the 15-time major champion—a longtime opponent of Mickelson—admitted that returning to the PGA Tour might be challenging.
Woods stated, “We’re investigating every model for a route back.” There is currently no answer to what that looks like, how it affects the players who have stayed and who have not left, or how we can improve our product moving forward. We’re looking at a very different set of ideas that vary in degree, and we’re not sure how that will play out in the near future.
Even the longer term details of that are unknown to us. Believe me, there are talks and emails about this every day and every week, along with what this means for our upcoming tour.
The 82-time PGA Tour winner is getting ready to play competitively again as he enters the Genesis Invitational. The 48-year-old, who is also the tournament host, hasn’t competed on the Tour since the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas last December.
Due to physical ailments, Woods had to play a reduced schedule in the past and only made three appearances on the Tour in 2023. Prior to returning for the Masters, where he struggled and withdrew due to an ankle injury, he participated in the Genesis Invitational.
Woods had to miss the following eight months in order to heal before making his comeback at the Hero World Challenge. When Woods returns to Riviera next week, it will mark the end of his illustrious 27-year relationship with Nike Golf and the beginning of a new chapter in his career.
Woods revealed earlier this week the introduction of his new line of clothing, “Sun Day Red” (SDR), which is a nod to the color he dons on championship final day. As he attempts to win on the PGA Tour for the first time since his terrifying 2021 car accident, he will be hoping that the start of a new era brings him good fortune.
Leave a Reply