Phil Mickelson asks permission to play in opening game of Saudi Arabia golf tournament, into PGA Championship and US Open | Golf News
Phil Mickelson, who hasn’t played since February, applied for the PGA Tour to be allowed to play at Club Centurion in June; The defending champion also entered the PGA Championship next month, along with this year’s US Open
Last Updated: 04/25/22 11:29 pm
Phil Mickelson asked the PGA Tour for permission to play in the opening match of the Saudi-backed golf tournament
Phil Mickelson applied for permission from the PGA Tour to play in the opening match of the Saudi-backed golf tournament and signed up for the remaining two majors of the year.
Monday is the deadline for players to request the release of the conflict event from the PGA Tour to play in the LIV Golf Invitational opening June 9-11 at Centurion Club in Hertfordshire, with Robert Garrigus is the only other player who has publicly confirmed he has applied too.
That is also the deadline to register for the PGA Championship, of which the 51-year-old is the defending champion, with Mickelson signing up for this year’s tournaments at the Southern Hills and US Open. However, his manager insists this is not a confirmation of his plans.
“Our client Phil Mickelson is officially registered to compete in the PGA Championship as well as the US Open,” Mickelson’s longtime manager, Steve Loy of Sportfive, said in a statement.
“We have also filed a request on his behalf to participate in the first LIV Golf Invitational in London, June 9-11. This request follows the April 25 deadline set by the PGA Tour to compete in a conflict tournament.
“Phil currently does not have a specific plan for when and where he will play. Any action taken is not a reflection of the final decision taken, but rather to keep all of the games going. open selection.”
The PGA Championship will run from May 19 to 22, and Mickelson’s victory at Kiawah Island last year at the age of 50 saw him become the oldest champion. It also grants him a five-year exemption from the US Open, which this year will take place outside of Boston on June 16-19.
The statement marks the first from Camp Mickelson since February 22, when he apologized for explosive remarks made in a book excerpt by Alan Shipnuck in which he disparaged the Saudis behind Greg Norman’s attempt at a rival tournament and says he wants leverage against the PGA Tour.
He hasn’t competed since Saudi International on February 6, even skipping the Masters.
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Rich Beem says Phil Mickelson’s efforts to change the PGA Tour by treating the proposed Saudi Arabia tour as futile.
Meanwhile, Norman announced the season-end team championship for his LIV Golf Invitational series will take place at Trump National Doral Miamifirst tournament at Blue Monster since the PGA Tour moved the World Golf Championships to Mexico in 2017.
Norman’s plans for a rival tournament met with a major setback in February when Mickelson, seen as a key recruit for Norman, was quoted by Shipnuck as saying the Saudis were “scary to get in”. ” and that he is working with Norman to get leverage on the changes he wants on the PGA Tour.
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Rob Lee and Jamie Spence deliver their verdict on the Saudi government’s massive financial investment in the Asian Tour and the possible threat to the structure of the global game.
None of the top 10 players in the world have expressed interest in Norman’s venture. Norman has since said the rival tournament he envisions will be postponed for two years.
Instead, he said players can sign up for any of the eight tournaments, which offer $20 million in prize money along with an additional $5 million wallet for the team aspect. .
Even then, PGA Tour players regardless of their world ranking won’t be able to sign up for conflicting event releases for the five tournaments scheduled for the United States.
