Phil Mickelson Seeks Release For LIV Golf Event, Also Registered for PGA, U.S. Open
Phil Mickelson has sought a release from the PGA Tour in order to play the first LIV Golf Invitational Series event outside of London in June.
Mickelson’s agent, Steve Loy, released a statement in which he said the six-time major winner who has not competed in more than two months has also submitted his application for the PGA Championship and U.S. Open.
Tiger Woods was also on the list of players who registered to play the PGA Championship next month at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“Our client client Phil Mickelson is officially registered to play in the PGA Championship as well as the U.S. Open,’’ said Loy, who is co-president of the agency SPORTFIVE and Mickelson’s long-time agent. “We have also filed a request on his behalf for a release to play in the first LIV Golf Invitational in London, June 9-11. This request complies with the deadline of April 25 set forth by the PGA Tour to compete in a conflicting tour event.
“Phil currently has no concrete plans on when and where he will play. Any actions taken are in no way a reflection of a final decision made, but rather to keep all options open.”
Mickelson, the defending PGA champion and the oldest to win a major championship at age 50 last year, has taken time away from the game in the wake of comments about the PGA Tour and his association with LIV Golf Investments, which has sought to have a competing Tour and is staging a series of eight events this year.
Monday was the deadline for players to seek permission from the PGA Tour to get a release for the LIV Golf event, which at Centurion Golf Club outside of London.
As for the PGA Championship, having submitted applications does not necessarily mean either member of the World Golf Hall of Fame will tee it up at next month, but they were required to enter by Friday’s deadline.
The tournament is May 19-22 at Southern Hills, where Woods won the 2007 PGA Championship.
Both players’ participation remains in doubt.
Woods, 46, made a surprising return at the Masters three weeks ago, playing all four rounds and finishing 47th in his first event since a serious car crash in February of 2021. It was the first time Woods competed in an official event since the 2020 Masters played in November.
After a final-round 78, Woods said he would be competing in The Open at St. Andrews this summer but committed to nothing else.
“I won’t be playing a full schedule ever again, so it’ll be just the big events,’’ he said. “I don’t know if I’ll play Southern Hills or not. But I’m looking forward to St Andrews. That is something near and dear to my heart. I’ve won two Opens there. It’s the home of golf and it’s my favorite course in the world. I will be there for that one.
“But anything between that I don’t know. I will there. There’s no doubt. Like this week, try and get ready for Southern Hills and see what this this body can do.’’
Mickelson, 51, also remains a mystery. The defending PGA champion has not competed since Feb. 6 during the final round of the Saudi International, an Asian Tour event where he was quoted by Golf Digest about the PGA Tour’s “obnoxious greed.’’ Mickelson said in another interview with author Alan Shipnuck later in February that he was using the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league as leverage against the PGA Tour.
That led to losing sponsorships and an apology issued in late February in which Mickelson said he would be stepping away from the game. A three-time Masters winner and apparently not dissuaded by playing – according to Masters chairman Fred Ridley – Mickelson skipped the year’s first major for the first time since 1994.
Loy’s statement was the first news on Mickelson since he released his apology statement on Feb. 22.
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