PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida — PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said he hasn’t spoken to Phil Mickelson since his explosive comments about the tour were released last month, but Monahan said that conversation should take place before six in the main the time champion is back in the game.
Mickelson will not be playing in the Players Championship this week at TPC Sawgrass, after announcing two weeks ago that he is taking time away from golf “to prioritize those I love most and work on being the one.” , who I want to be”.
Mickelson, 51, caused an uproar last month with his comments about the PGA Tour and Saudi Supergolf League financiers. Mickelson described the Saudis as “scary” but said he was oblivious to their controversial history of human rights abuses in order to gain influence with the PGA Tour.
“I think with Phil you said, ‘The ball is in his court,’” Monahan said at a press conference on Tuesday. “He said he was leaving and he needed time to think. This is something that I and we will respect and honor. When he’s ready to return to the PGA tour, we’ll talk about it. a conversation I’m looking forward to.”
Monahan did not wait for reporters to ask questions about the proposed breakaway league. He addressed this at the start of his opening statement, which included a veiled remark about Mickelson’s comment that he didn’t care if the SGL did well and only used it as leverage against the PGA Tour.
“The PGA Tour is underway,” Monahan said. “We have too much momentum and too much to do to be constantly distracted by rumors about other golf leagues and their attempts to prevent our players, our partners and most importantly our fans from enjoying the tour and the game we all love so much. .
“I am grateful for the strong support our top players have shown recently and publicly, and I am very proud that we have moved the conversation to what we do best: hosting world-class golf tournaments with the best players for the best fans. while making a positive impact on the communities in which we play. We will always focus on legacy, not leverage.”
Monahan did not specifically comment on whether Mickelson has been suspended or faces disciplinary action when and if he chooses to return to tour. The PGA Tour does not announce discipline, although some players, including Rory McIlroy, have asked for more transparency when it comes to suspensions and bans.
“He left of his own accord and asked for time,” Monahan said. “He was given this time. We do not comment on disciplinary issues, potential issues, or factual issues. But here each player is responsible for his actions.”
Monahan didn’t seem to completely rule out Mickelson’s return. He has repeatedly stated that any PGA Tour player who has played in a rival league will face an immediate suspension and a potential life ban.
During a phone call with writer Alan Shipnak, who wrote Mickelson’s upcoming biography, the 2021 PGA champion reportedly said he enlisted other players to help him get lawyers to write an operating agreement for SGL.
“I would love to get a phone call from him,” Monahan said. “But it’s hard for me to talk about the different scenarios that could play out. Look, he’s a player who has won 45 times on the PGA Tour. He had a career in the Hall of Fame. He won here at the Players Championship. a lot of people and helped develop this tour, his tour. So as hard as it is to read some of the things that have been said, eventually the conversation will take place when he’s ready for it, and I’ll be ready for it, too.”
Several of Mickelson’s longtime sponsors, including KPMG, Workday and Amstel Light, cut ties with him. Another longtime sponsor, Callaway, put him on hold while the American Express tournament in La Quinta, California announced that Mickelson would no longer host and the event would not benefit his foundation.
“I just think it’s more of what he wants,” Justin Thomas said. “If he wants to try to come back and play X number of events, or if he wants to try to create something of his own, if he wants to do whatever he needs to do, no one knows what goes on in Phil’s head but Phil. and I think the last couple of weeks have proven that more than ever.”
Among other things, Mickelson accused the PGA Tour of “disgusting greed”. In a letter to Monahan, former world No. 1 player Greg Norman, who is the CEO of LIV Golf Investments, accused the tour of intimidating and threatening players who might want to compete in both circles.
“I think people know me and they know how I play and how we work and the values we stand for and I don’t think there is any doubt that I work differently,” said Monahan. “I didn’t have a lot of people asking me about it because people know me. I’m right here.”
McIlroy said he doesn’t believe the Super League isn’t a big threat anymore because most of the top golfers, including John Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and others, have pledged their allegiance to the PGA Tour. Many of these players made statements at the Genesis Invitational last month that seemed to put the Saudi-funded league on life support.
“I haven’t heard anything since, so I don’t know,” McIlroy said. “Obviously I don’t know where they are. But it seems like just about every top player in the world, especially the younger guys, the guys you really need to lift something like this off the ground, they all want to play here and they’ve declared their intention and that’s what it is. “.
Monahan said the PGA Tour is ready to move on.
“I feel like I’ve said this before: I wake up every day with the thought that someone is trying to take my lunch,” he said. “That’s how I work. This is how we work as a team. But we’re here at the Players Championship. The best players in the world have told you how they feel… I don’t look over my shoulder. , Look forward to.”