Love him or hate him, Phil Mickelson is unquestionably one of golf’s biggest characters of the last three decades.
Phil Mickelson has certainly had a very interesting career on and off the course, with Lefty winning six major championships, including the 2021 PGA Championship.
But he has definitely seen his position as a firm fan favourite slip slightly over the last few years, with many not at all impressed in the months leading up to the news that he was joining LIV Golf after nearly 30 years on the PGA Tour.
He was undoubtedly one of the biggest names from those who initially defected to the breakaway tour, and he certainly had to answer a number of questions about playing on a tour backed by PIF.
Phil Mickelson shares why so many of golf’s characters play on LIV
Very few players who have made the jump have avoided criticism since going to LIV, but Mickelson clearly believes that that has left the tour with many of the game’s biggest characters.
Speaking on Fairway to Heaven, the 54-year-old was asked about how he was feeling ahead of LIV’s first event back in 2022, and he noted how those who have moved have had to have thick skin to deal with the criticism which has come their way.
“I was more reluctant, I was all in, I believed fully this was the right thing, but we were all taking so much heat initially. And we knew that was going to be the case, we were told exactly what the response was going to be, and yet, we did it anyway because we believed that it was the right thing to do,” he said.
“And I think that’s why so many guys on LIV are the characters of the game because they have the guts to either play the game differently, like Bryson, or they have the guts to just go down the road that they believe is right, no matter what other people say.”
Some names definitely missed on the PGA Tour – even if some others aren’t
The PGA Tour definitely misses some of the players who have made the move, and not just because of the quality of the golf that they played.
Obviously, Bryson DeChambeau seems to be the biggest name in golf right now after his US Open win, while Brooks Koepka has also triumphed in the majors since moving to LIV.
Jon Rahm was one of the superstars of the European game before his shock departure, and no-one could accuse his Legion XIII teammate Tyrrell Hatton of lacking personality.
Players like Bubba Watson and Ian Poulter are always going to attract attention regardless of how they are playing, too. So you can understand Mickelson’s perspective.
It definitely makes the majors even more special because the golfing fans get to see most of the world’s best players and characters face off again.
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