Six-time main winner Phil Mickelson mentioned Wednesday that extra PGA Tour gamers will soar to Saudi-backed LIV Golf regardless of a framework settlement for a merger by the tip of 2023.
The 53-year-old US left-hander, among the many first to leap from the PGA to the upstart circuit final 12 months, spoke Wednesday forward of Friday’s begin of the season-ending LIV Golf Crew Championship at Doral.
“I’ve been fielding calls, as all of us have, from gamers which are free brokers to PGA Tour gamers to DP World Tour gamers that wish to come over,” Mickelson mentioned.
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Requested if he anticipated an “exodus” of expertise from the PGA and DP World excursions, Mickelson was assured of extra motion.
“Do I believe that? No. I do know that’s going to occur,” Mickelson mentioned. “When gamers have a look at LIV, they’re desirous to be part of it.
“All people right here is completely satisfied and having fun with what we’re doing, having fun with the group facet of it and having fun with one another and the camaraderie and having fun with taking part in golf globally and all the advantages that include taking part in this tour.
“So there are plenty of gamers that see that and wish to be part of it. The query is what number of spots can be found. There’s much more gamers that wish to come than there are spots.” Merger talks have continued between the three excursions since a June announcement of a framework settlement, however there’s a December 31 deadline for any deal to be accomplished.
A PGA Tour Coverage Board with a majority of gamers together with Tiger Woods should approve any merger deal.
“I believe the merger talks enable for it,” Mickelson mentioned of gamers leaping to LIV. “I believe it permits and sort of opens the door for that.”
One door slammed shut on LIV Golf final week was by the Official World Golf Rating (OWGR) board, which rejected LIV Golf’s attraction to have rankings factors awarded for its occasions, citing points with LIV’s restricted participant turnover charge and group format points impacting particular person play.
LIV gamers have been banned from PGA Tour occasions, limiting their capability to earn rating factors.
Mickelson, nonetheless, says there’s greater than meets the attention to the rejection. “I do wish to deliver to gentle as to why precisely they’re doing what they’re doing. It’s not what they’re placing on the market,” Mickelson mentioned.
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“There’s much more occurring behind the scenes as to the significance of us to the getting factors to (equal) the PGA Tour.” American Brooks Koepka, this 12 months’s PGA Championship winner, and Australian Cameron Smith, final 12 months’s British Open champion, are the one LIV gamers nonetheless among the many world rankings high 50, a key cut-off level for entry into main tournaments.
Mickelson mentioned the majors want to make sure different high LIV gamers have a path into their occasions.
“I believe the majors want to guard their product, and there’s most likely different ways in which they will do this by creating slots,” Mickelson mentioned.
“In the event that they wish to be certain that they’ve the perfect fields in golf, they may create automobiles for gamers on LIV to play in majors the place they don’t have to make use of the OWGR, which might undermine the TV contract and income of the PGA Tour in the event that they gave factors to LIV.” Koepka mentioned LIV has loads of expertise that deserves an opportunity to play in majors. “I believe it’s exhausting to argue that a few of these guys right here are usually not the perfect gamers on this planet,” Koepka mentioned. “These guys need to be in majors which have been in majors.
“Hopefully there’s a pathway for them to a minimum of get into majors as a result of I believe there’s fairly just a few guys out right here that need to be in these.”