What does Phil Mickelson suppose his legacy will likely be? He hoping it’s 1 factor

Phil Mickelson, a six-time main winner and golf corridor of famer, believes he will likely be most remembered for LIV Golf, the tour surrounded by controversy he’s headlined for the previous two years. 

Speaking this week on the Fairway to Heaven podcast, a LIV Golf-backed present, Mickelson was answering a query from co-host Jerry Foltz about legacy. Notably, after the response, Foltz then requested the same query. 

For readability, beneath is the primary trade, began by Foltz: 

“I did a latest podcast in Houston — I believe you noticed some snippets of it — with a man named Will Kunkel. Nice questions he requested, nothing was out of bounds,” Foltz mentioned on the podcast. “And he requested me: What’s going to Phil Mickelson’s — what will likely be his flowers at his funeral? His method of claiming his legacy. What’s going to your legacy be when all is alleged and carried out? What do you suppose?”

“Nicely, I imply I believe hopefully LIV Golf,” Mickelson mentioned, “and serving to get the sport to a youthful crowd, serving to get the sport to youthful gamers and giving them infrastructure to grow to be nice, serving to to develop the sport on a worldwide foundation. Like, all of the issues LIV Golf is doing. I really feel very linked to the success.”

Unquestionably, LIV Golf has impacted skilled golf. The headlines have been seemingly numerous. In 2022, LIV, providing assured cash behind billions from the Saudi Arabia Public Funding Fund (PIF), launched, and gamers from the PGA Tour, the established model, bolted. A 12 months later, the Tour and the PIF shook hands over a funding association. However the sides stay speaking  — and in January, the Tour took another deal, from a set of professional sports activities homeowners that’s christened itself the Strategic Sports activities Group. Notably over the previous two years, the Tour has enacted a number of adjustments to entice its professionals to remain — amongst them, participant fairness and “signature occasions” that function restricted fields and larger purses — whereas LIV performs on with 54-player, no-cut fields. 

Questions stay. Will the excursions stay aside? Will extra Tour professionals be part of LIV? Can the edges come collectively? What does reunification appear like? Progress to the deal between the PIF and the Tour has been made, the Tour has mentioned, however particulars have been scarce. 

For Mickelson’s half, he’d been one of many PGA Tour’s largest stars, because of the foremost wins and a devil-may-care fashion of play. However, in an interview published in early 2022, whereas discussing the advantages of the yet-to-start LIV league, he’d additionally controversially commented on the Saudi funding, and he’s been among the many professionals to play with LIV since its begin. 

On the Fairway to Heaven podcast, after Mickelson’s preliminary reply to the query on his legacy, Foltz requested this:  

“Do you suppose that [LIV Golf] will likely be your lasting legacy?” 

Mickelson mentioned sure. 

“I certain hope so,” he mentioned on the podcast, “as a result of it wasn’t an choice — like elevated occasions and fairness within the tour wasn’t an choice for the fellows that got here to LIV. And so the truth that we’re invested and concerned and built-in into the success of LIV — and I’m glad for the fellows on the Tour that they now have all that stuff as a result of they need to. 

“However the place we’re at, we’re attracting a distinct crowd. And we’re attracting a worldwide crowd. And that’s essential to the long-term success of the sport. And it’s one thing that the outdated mannequin of the Tour would by no means transcend into since you couldn’t get all the fellows to go journey the world and play over there and once more entice gamers that don’t play the sport of golf to need to watch. And so I believe LIV Golf is doing that and I’m hopeful that my reference to LIV and hopeful the success of LIV will likely be what I’m recognized for.”

Editor’s notice: To take heed to all the Fairway to Heaven podcast with Mickelson, please click here.  

Nick Piastowski

Golf.com Editor

Nick Piastowski is a Senior Editor at Golf.com and Golf Journal. In his position, he’s chargeable for modifying, writing and growing tales throughout the golf area. And when he’s not writing about methods to hit the golf ball farther and straighter, the Milwaukee native might be taking part in the sport, hitting the ball left, proper and quick, and consuming a chilly beer to scrub away his rating. You’ll be able to attain out to him about any of those subjects — his tales, his sport or his beers — at [email protected].