Why Phil Mickelson was angry about ‘terrible’ decision made at Torrey Pines in 2016 which made ‘no sense’

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As a California native, Phil Mickelson is fond of the iconic golf courses along the Golden State’s coastline, most notably Torrey Pines and Pebble Beach.

Torrey Pines sits just north of Mickelson’s birthplace in San Diego, and the lefty was a regular feature at the Farmers Insurance Open during his PGA Tour days.

500 miles north of Torrey lies Pebble Beach, where Mickelson has tasted victory five times at the AT&T Pro-Am. Despite having plenty of success at Pebble, Mickelson said the 18th always made him nervous.

However, it’s Torrey Pines where Mickelson wanted to exert genuine change. In 2014, Mickelson submitted a design master plan and general development plan with a view to being at the forefront of the North Course redesign.

However, Mickelson lost his bid. 16-time PGA Tour winner Tom Weiskopf eventually started work on the North Course.

And it’s safe to say the San Diego native wasn’t best pleased.

What Phil Mickelson said about Torrey Pines decision in 2016

Speaking before the 2016 edition of the Farmers Insurance, Mickelson shared his thoughts on his failed bid.

“I think Tom Weiskopf is an excellent designer, and he’ll be able to do something that will continue to add to the great spot that Torrey North is,” Mickelson said. “It’s certainly disappointing for me, but I understand the politics of it all.”

The lefty then caught himself out.

“Actually, I don’t understand the politics of it all. It makes no sense,” he remarked. “I think it’s terrible business practices, but it’s what we live with here. I’m not bitter about it. I just kind of learned to accept that as being one of the sacrifices of living in California.”

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Why did Phil Mickelson’s Torrey Pines bid fail

The California Fair Political Practices Commission prevented Mickelson from bidding on the project despite the lefty waiving his design fee.

The commission claimed that “any person that worked on the preliminary designs may not participate in the design or construction resulting from this Request for Proposal and its ensuing contract.”

Mickelson’s vision for Torrey Pines North Course centred around making the venue more environmentally sustainable, enjoyable for amateurs of all abilities and more challenging for PGA Tour players for less than $6 million.

“It really is unfortunate,” Mickelson said in 2015. “San Diegans and visitors deserve a better North Course, but they don’t need or want one that costs as much as this one will.”