There’s been a discussion point around Brooks Koepka returning to the PGA Tour lately but Phil Mickelson has fired back angrily at Fred Couples’ comments on the matter.
With Couples one of the most experienced players out on the PGA Tour and a man who has plenty of friends in the game, he was always going to have plenty to say on LIV Golf and the players who moved there at some point.
However, few expected Couples to openly claim Brooks Koepka wanted a return to the PGA Tour.
“I talked to Brooks Koepka all the time. I love Brooks Koepka, and I’m not going to say anything extra except I talked to him all the time,” Couples said.
“He wants to come back. I will say that I believe he really wants to come back and play the Tour. But for me personally, there are a lot of guys that are going to be pushed out…I don’t know how you get an elevated event with 72 people and bring seven superstars in. What do you tell those other seven? Bye-bye.”
“I want to say Jon Rahm is the last guy to leave here, maybe there’s been one or two more.”
But now, after those quotes were doing the rounds on social media, Phil Mickelson has slammed Couples for revealing such information.
Phil Mickelson slams Fred Couples for comments about Brooks Koepka
Taking to social media platform X to share his frustration at Couples, Phil Mickelson aimed a big dig at the former Masters winner.
Despite Mickelson deleting the initial reply on his X account, popular golf account Nuclr Golf captured the interaction before it was taken down.
Mickelson’s initial reply was to a post from the Golf Digest, who were quoting Couples’ original comments on the Koepka situation.
With the post quickly taken down – either by Mickelson or the Golf Digest account – it’s clear that some sort of quick decision had been taken to not keep things public.
Nevertheless, Couples will no doubt see the comment and Mickelson might well have a quick phone call to make to his former colleague on the PGA Tour.
What Fred Couples has previously said about LIV Golf players
Clearly, there is some sort of animosity from Couples towards the LIV players and Mickelson might well have remembered some previous comments from Couples.
Speaking back in 2023, Couples commented on the LIV players and said he’d no problem with them moving on, but he personally wouldn’t stand for having the PGA Tour criticised.
“I’ve made comments, but they need to understand if they’ve looked at anything I’ve ever said, I call myself the same stuff I’m calling them, I just don’t think they should bash the PGA Tour or anybody, just go play golf,” Couples said.
“I have no problem with any of them, just please do not bash a Tour that I have 43 years invested in. It bothers the hell out of me. They don’t bother me. They really don’t. They’re golfers. I’m a golfer. I respect them all. On my (radio) show I’ve told everyone, Sergio is one of the top 10 players I’ve ever seen hit a ball, but if he’s going to make comments about the Tour that I play, I’m going to make a comment back, and if it’s offensive I apologize, but they’re on another tour.
“Go play and have a good time. Brooks Koepka I love, Dustin Johnson absolutely love. I’m not good enough to be paired with those guys. They’re going to play with those who are probably going to win this thing. But I have no problem with anyone on the LIV Tour. I really don’t.”
Couples and Mickelson will bump into each at the Masters and it will be interesting to see if these comments are indeed brought up.
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