Weekly Read: Phil Mickelson's Legacy In Peril With His Latest Words, Deeds

The 51-year-old Hall-of-Famer could be remembered more for his scorched-earth comments about the Saudis and PGA Tour than for his playing accomplishments.

The historic result should still resonate. It should still elicit chills, inspire others to dream and go down as one of golf’s greatest accomplishments.

Only nine months have passed since Phil Mickelson, at age 50, became the oldest player to win a major championship. He surpassed a record held by Julius Boros for 53 years when he held off Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen to win the PGA Championship at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, S.C.

It was the kind of victory that might have cemented his legacy as one of golf’s all-time greats. If he wasn’t considered among the top 10 players in history, that victory could have included him in such a discussion. A 45^th PGA Tour win, a sixth major title -- what more needs to be said?

A glorious achievement that should have created a lifetime legacy has been at the very least diminished in recent days as Mickelson harshly criticized the PGA Tour and admitted that he was willing to endure the controversy associated with a rival Saudi-backed golf league in order to create leverage against the Tour where he’s been a fixture for more than 30 years.

Mickelson’s incendiary comments have led to harsh backlash, more so than Mickelson has ever endured his career, and served to cast a pall over the Genesis Invitational, won by Joaquin Niemann on Sunday. Mickelson’s had his moments of controversy, just like anyone in a prominent position would over three decades (including the messy business with the Securities & Exchange Commission), but nothing like this.

Once viewed as the smiling, accommodating, autograph-signing opposite to the stone-cold ultra-focused Tiger Woods, Mickelson now appears increasingly to be golf’s bad guy.

Both Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau – long believed to be in Mickelson’s corner as part of a group of players strongly looking at the LIV Golf Investments strategy for a new tour – issued statements on Sunday in which they said they would remain with the PGA Tour.

Rory McIlroy piled on, saying he didn’t want to kick Mickelson while he was down before doing exactly that by calling him “naïve, selfish, egotistical, ignorant.’’

Ouch.

They have joined other prominent players such as Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth and Collin Morikawa in saying they are staying with the PGA Tour.

Mickelson looks to be swimming alone in the ocean without a life jacket. And the entire episode is sad.

Not because Phil went looking for more riches, explored the possibility of something new or even criticized the PGA Tour.

Sad, because Mickelson has been such a positive force for the game for so long. Sad, because while nobody proved to be the ultimate adversary to Woods, Mickelson stepped up as well or better than any other player. Sad, because he was destined to be an incredible elder statesmen, a Ryder Cup captain, a possible lively and entertaining presence in the TV booth.

Is all of that now gone? A source said that Mickelson in recent days lost two of his sponsors. He’s seen some of his allies in this quest back down. There is a concern the PGA Tour could suspend him.

Perhaps all of this eventually blows over but when you call out the PGA Tour for its “obnoxious greed’’ in an interview with Golf Digest and then are reported to have made comments to The Fire Pit Collective in November that appeared last week in which he said the Tour has “been able to get by with manipulative, coercive, strong-arm tactics, but we, the players, had no recourse’’ – those are strong words that have left a bad taste.

RELATED: SI:AM | What to Know About the PGA Tour’s Saudi-Backed Challenger

The irony is that some of Mickelson’s complaints are not without merit. The PGA Tour has been known to be secretive about its financial dealings, a frustration to players for years. There are more than a few who seem rankled by the fact that the commissioner (first Tim Finchem, now Jay Monahan) can make more in salary and bonuses than the No. 1 player on the money list. (Golfers might want to consult their NFL brethren and their pay compared to commissioner Roger Goodell.)

Mickelson has long believed that the top players have not been compensated in relation to their worth, and has suggested that those lower on the pay hierarchy simply play better to reap the rewards. The Tour, meanwhile, is a membership organization that wants to look out for all, including those who might struggle to make it.

These are fair points worth vetting, but it’s the venom that has seemingly put people off.

Even Mickelson’s claim that the Tour is reaping billions off players by not allowing them access to their media rights – something no other sports league does – has at least a hint of viability if presented in the proper way. Woods himself acknowledged as much when asked last week.

“Media rights is a big thing,’’ Woods said. “A lot of us are concerned about what is the direction where we're going and how can we have more control over that. There's been a lot of talk from whether it's the PAC or the board or from players internally. Everyone has their opinion about it, but we need to come to a collective decision.

“Jay (Monahan) has taken it all in to try and figure out what's best for each and every individual player because we're all independent contractors, but again, what is best for the Tour as a brand as well.’’

Those are measured words from a man who, like Mickelson, perhaps wonders why the situation is as it is, but won’t go out of his way to bash anyone over it.

Mickelson has gone scorched earth and it’s not going so well.

“I don't know, it's like he's done a lot of great things for the PGA Tour, it's a big reason it is where it is, but him and others that are very adamant about that, if they're that passionate, go ahead,’’ Justin Thomas said. “I don't think anybody's stopping them.’’

Thomas added that he never seriously considered the other leagues even though “there’s plenty of things that I would love to see improve with the PGA Tour. If we can improve this here, this there, and keep getting better, then everybody wins.

“I’m very content with what’s going on. I mean, the very reason I play golf is to create a legacy and win as many times as I can on the PGA Tour.’’

Mickelson has done that better than all but a handful of players in the game’s history.

But how much damage has he done?

Picking on the PGA Tour's PIP Program

One of the programs the PGA Tour put in place to try and combat rival leagues was the lucrative Player Impact Program (PIP), which started in 2021 and was worth $40 million, to be paid out to 10 players based on various engagement methods, not necessarily performance on the course. Mickelson announced toward the end of the year that he had won the $8 million first prize. Woods was second.

The PIP has been raised to $50 million in 2022 and is expected to rise to $70 million by 2025. But not everyone believes it is the most efficient use of funds to reward players. One of them is the reigning FedEx Cup champion.

“I’m old-school in the respect that I would like the money to be doled out relative to play and I don't think the PIP does that,’’ said Patrick Cantlay. “It may be the first departure that the Tour has had from rewarding good play to rewarding social media or popularity presence, so I don't like that departure.’’

Asked a follow up, Cantlay said: “Do you think the Tour should be incentivizing it, because that's my gripe. People are going to promote themselves on social media anyway and we've definitely seen that. The question is whether the Tour should also be incentivizing that.’’

British Open champion Collin Morikawa also wonders.

“How many other leagues or sports pay out the top-10 players for what they do for the game?’’ he said. “Now, is it a good thing and it is a bad thing because do guys deserve more? Do guys that have really moved the needle, that have produced what we have done for the game, do they deserve more? Yes, right? They've changed our game and our game is constantly changing and evolving and opening it to more people, that's the biggest thing.

“But what's the pool this year, $50 million? I mean, that's crazy to me. $50 million to the top-10 players that can impact this game. Yeah, I think there's probably better routes, other things.’’

Morikawa admitted he didn’t have the proper answer.

“I probably should start thinking about this because I am in a position now to where I can help out and voice my opinion and hopefully be heard,’’ he said.

Fore! Things

1. Now what? Where does LIV Golf Investments and the proposed Saudi-backed new Tour go from here?

2. Cameron Young acquitted himself very nicely in just his 12^th start on the PGA Tour, staying in contention all weekend before finishing tied for second with Morikawa behind Niemann. Ranked 113^th in the world, he will make a big jump into the top 100.

3. A fund has been set up to help families of workers from Oakland Hills Country Club, which was devastated last week by a clubhouse fire. ClubsHelp is making an initial $5,000 donation and will match funds up to the first $15,000.

4. Jon Rahm’s 73 on Friday at Riviera was the first time he failed to shoot par or better after 34 straight rounds (on the PGA Tour) of doing so going back to The Open in July, when he opened the tournament with a 71 at Royal St. George’s. It as the longest streak on Tour in 19 years.

Augusta National Makes Changes for 2022 Masters

As Eureka Earth foretold back in the summer, there are a few changes that players will see at the Masters, specifically to the 11^th and 15^th holes but also to the 18^th at Augusta National.

Augusta National made it official last week when it released its 2022 media guide and had entries under “significant hole changes.’’

The par-4 11^th has been lengthened by 15 yards, now making a 520-yard hole, as the tee was moved back and to the left. The fairway was also re-contoured and several trees have been removed from the right side. The hole has played as the second-hardest on the course in Masters history at an average of 4.3 strokes.

The par-5 15^th has been lengthened to 550 yards, with the tees moved back 20 yards and the fairway re-contoured.

These are the first significant changes to the course since 2019, when the par-4 fifth was lengthened 40 yards.

The media guide also shows that 13 yards have been added to the back of the par-4 18^th tee but without a change to the yardage on the hole. The course will now play to 7,510 yards, par-72.

Masters Countdown

The Masters is now 45 days away, with 89 players having qualified for the tournament, which begins April 7. Genesis Invitational winner Joaquin Niemann was already qualified via the Official World Golf Ranking at the end of 2021.

Tiger Woods and Ian Woosnam remain part of the 89-player field, although neither past champion is expected to play.

There are seven more PGA Tour events through the Valero Texas Open that provide an opportunity to get in by winning. There is also the top 50 in the Official World Ranking as of March 28 who will also get invitations if not otherwise in the field.

Social Matters

Collin Morikawa was in his own world on Sunday when he walked onto the 10^th tee just as Justin Thomas was about to tee off.

Eureka Earth has captured some excellent overhead views of Augusta National, with this one showing that recent changes are impossible to detect if you didn’t know about them.

Fred Couples, giving his take on the proposed golf league and the PGA Tour.

Next Up

It is impossible to avoid when there are official tournaments every week from the beginning of January through August, but the Honda Classic is without a single top-10 player in the world at PGA National this week.

From 11 of the top 11 in the Official World Golf Ranking at Riviera to zero of the top 12 and only three of the top 20 at the Honda, it’s a rather harsh juxtaposition. Only Louis Oosthuzien, Brooks Koepka and Daniel Berger are represented among the top 20.

There are numerous theories as to why the top players avoid the Honda. The Tour is coming off a stretch that saw it play consecutive weeks at Torrey Pines, Pebble Beach, Phoenix and Riviera. Those are all popular stops. Throw in the fact that the Genesis Invitational is now an elevated event hosted by Tiger Woods with a $12 million purse on an iconic golf course, and naturally, a good field is in order.

The Honda, which has the longest-running sponsor on the PGA Tour, was once a sleepy event that was revitalized when it moved to PGA National in 2007. Jack Nicklaus’ hospital is the beneficiary. But the course can be quite the challenge during the winter/spring season with plenty of wind and lots of rough and 16 of 18 holes bordered by water. Some elect to skip.

Another elevated event, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, is followed by the Tour’s flagship event, the Players Championship. Two weeks later, it’s the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. Two more weeks, the Masters. Something has to give and the Honda Classic is taking the hit.