Breaking
Tag

Phil Mickelson

Browsing
CELEB NEWS

Phil Mickelson ruthlessly criticized his own Ryder Cup captain while

By
Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson ruthlessly criticized his own Ryder Cup captain while sitting next to him at a press conference

The Ryder Cup can bring out both the best and worst in professional golfers.

Just ask Phil Mickelson.

It is a dramatic, high-pressure event that pits the world’s best players against one another, as Team USA faces off against Team Europe.

READ: Phil Mickelson has already made his feelings clear on being

The 45th Ryder Cup tees off at the end of the month on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in New York, with America, led by captain Keegan Bradley, seeking redemption against their European rivals, captained again by Luke Donald.

In 2023, Europe defeated USA by a score of 161⁄2 to 111⁄2.

The high-stakes event can lead to a lot of turmoil, both externally and internally. Look no further than what Mickelson had to say 11 years ago.

At the 40th Ryder Cup in 2014, tempers flared within the US camp as Mickelson very publicly – and not so subtly – called out captain Tom Watson.

Mickelson openly disagreed with Watson’s pairing choices and lineup management. He did so sitting just a few chairs down from Watson during a press conference.

“There were two things that allowed us to play our best, I think, that Paul Azinger [the previous captain] did, and one was he got everybody invested in the process,” Mickelson said.

“He got everybody invested in who they were going to play with, who the picks were going to be, who was going to be in their pod, who — when they would play, and they had a great leader for each pod.

“In my case, we had Ray Floyd, and we hung out together and we were all invested in each other’s play…

“And the other thing that Paul did really well was he had a great game plan for us, you know, how we were going to go about doing this.

“How we were going to go about playing together; golf ball, format, what we were going to do, if so-and-so is playing well, if so-and-so is not playing well, we had a real game plan.

“Those two things helped us bring out our best golf. And I think that, you know, we all do the best that we can and we’re all trying our hardest, and I’m just looking back at what gave us the most success.

“Because we use that same process in The Presidents Cup and we do really well. Unfortunately, we have strayed from a winning formula in 2008 for the last three Ryder Cups, and we need to consider maybe getting back to that formula that helped us play our best.”

Watson calmly responded and politely disagreed.

“I had a different philosophy as far as being a captain of this team,” Watson said.

“You know, it takes 12 players to win. It’s not pods. It’s 12 players. And I felt — I based my decisions on — yes, I did talk to the players, but my vice captains were very instrumental in making decisions as to whom to pair with.

“I had a different philosophy than Paul. I decided not to go that way. But I did have most of them play in the practice rounds together who played most of the time in the matches. I think that was the proper thing to do…

“Yes, I did mix-and-match a little bit from there, but again, you have to go with the evolution of the playing of the match and see who is playing the best and who to play with whom, and that’s what I did.”

Europe would defeat the United States with ease at Gleneagles.

In the last 10 Ryder Cups going back to 2004, Europe has won seven of them. However, the last four have been split 2-2.

Bradley and Team USA consist of world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler plus recent major winners J.J. Spaun and Xander Schauffele.

Russell Henley, Harris English, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns complete the side.

Donald has kept his Team Europe side consistent from Rome with Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre and Tommy Fleetwood the main men.

Justin Rose, Rasmus Hojgaard, Tyrrell Hatton, Ludvig Aberg, Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka are also on the roster.

Keep Reading
By
GOLF

Phil Mickelson has already made his feelings clear on being

By
Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson has already made his feelings clear on being Ryder Cup captain

Phil Mickelson has already made his thoughts clear on potentially being the Ryder Cup captain, while also opting to poke fun at Patrick Cantlay’s style of play.

Mickelson, the LIV Golf star, is one of the most prominent American Ryder Cup players, having played in 47 matches throughout his career. Overall, the 55-year-old has won 18 times, lost 22, accumulated seven halves, and won a total of 21.5 points.

Phil Mickelson - Golf News, Rumors, & Updates | FOX Sports

READ: How Greg Norman ‘heard’ that Tiger Woods prevented him from

Despite his immense experience, Mickelson has only been named a vice captain once (2021) and never as a captain. Having never received that call, the star admits that he believes his time to be named captain is up.

“I don’t feel I’m the right guy to be involved with the team because I’m a very divisive character right now, if you will, and I understand that,” he said in 2024 [h/t The Golfing Gazette]. The LIV star believed that his jumping ship to the Saudi-backed circuit could have caused some fractures in his relationships.

“The players on the PGA Tour, there’s a lot of hostilities towards me, and I don’t feel I’d be the best leader for them,” he candidly admitted. “I knew I was going to take some hits going forward. I’m OK with that. And as a divisive individual. I don’t think I’m the best unifier going forward for the Ryder Cup, and that’s fine because I’ve had so many great memories with it.”

Despite stating that he would not want to be captain for fear of fracturing the team, the golf star is not one to hold back his criticism, even if it could be detrimental to the team’s performance.

In 2014, Mickelson spoke out openly against captain Tom Watson’s decisions on player pairings, with the latter telling reporters what he truly thought and called out his captain. “There were two things that allowed us to play our best, I think, that Paul Azinger [the previous captain] did, and one was he got everybody invested in the process,” he said at the time [h/t Talk Sport].

“He got everybody invested in who they were going to play with, who the picks were going to be, who was going to be in their pod, who — when they would play, and they had a great leader for each pod.

“In my case, we had Ray Floyd, and we hung out together and we were all invested in each other’s play… And the other thing that Paul did really well was he had a great game plan for us, you know, how we were going to go about doing this.

“How we were going to go about playing together; golf ball, format, what we were going to do, if so-and-so is playing well, if so-and-so is not playing well, we had a real game plan.

“Those two things helped us bring out our best golf. And I think that, you know, we all do the best that we can and we’re all trying our hardest, and I’m just looking back at what gave us the most success.

“Because we use that same process in The Presidents Cup and we do really well. Unfortunately, we have strayed from a winning formula in 2008 for the last three Ryder Cups, and we need to consider maybe getting back to that formula that helped us play our best.”

Mickelson and Team USA fell to Team Europe that year by a score of 16 1/2 to 11 1/2. Of note, that win punctuated European dominance, with the Europe winning eight of 10 competitions from 1995 to 2014.

Keep Reading
By
GOLF

Elon Musk backs Phil Mickelson after he condemns disturbing reac

By
Elon Musk Phil Mickelson

Elon Musk backs Phil Mickelson after he condemns disturbing reactions to Charlie Kirk’s death

The assassination of Charlie Kirk has ignited a fierce debate online. Targeting the disturbing reactions to the news, Phil Mickelson, an American Golf legend took a strong stand, condemning the support given to Charlie Kirk’s shooter and his actions.

His statement on X has now even received a powerful backing from the tech billionaire Elon Musk. It has not just amplified the message, but has sparked a wider conversation on toxic rhetoric and violence accountability within the digital age.

Phil Mickelson explodes at sick online support for Tyler Robinson after Charlie Kirk assassination in Utah | International Sports News - The Times of India

JUST IN: How Greg Norman ‘heard’ that Tiger Woods prevented him from

Elon Musk backs Golf legend Phil Mickelson’s stance on violence

After the tragic shooting at Utah University, which took the life of Charlie Kirk, Phil Mickelson turned on to X, expressing his profound dismay. He wasn’t just heartbroken by the loss of life but even horrified by the online commentary segment. The golfer ensured to specifically call out ones who applauded the alleged shooter’s appalling behavior. He described it as a revealing look at the dangerous extremism form.

Mickelson further stated that this incident has shaken up his belief in people. He tried to emphasize that it is morally reprehensible. His central hope, which was clearly stated online, was that one’s spreading hate would face consequences for all of their words, in this tragedy’s wake.

The entire condemnation resonated well with Elon Musk. The billionaire directly added a powerful declaration quoting Mickelson’s post. In it, Musk said, “They will be held accountable.” The simple statement coming from Musk served as an amplification of the entire message shared by Mickelson. It signalled that the toxic rhetoric will not be tolerated on X.

Phil Mickelson makes a stand against toxic rhetoric

Criticism shared by Mickelson on X went beyond just some mere disapproval of this entire violent act. He made sure to give a distinction between criminal violence and protected free speech, a point which was seen as central within his argument. The athlete further emphasized that to celebrate murder is a representation of severe moral failure and sickness in society. As per him, it is not a valid political opinion or free speech exercise.

The perspective did strike a chord with many. There are many others on X who have spoken up against people celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death. It has brought in broad conversation about moral lines that one must not cross, even within political disagreement. The unanimous message was clear: to justify violence is completely unacceptable, and those who will do so will have to face consequences.

Keep Reading
By
Uncategorized

Phil Mickelson makes it perfectly clear which PGA Tour star he

By
Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson makes it perfectly clear which PGA Tour star he wants to sign to LIV Golf

Phil Mickelson has a vacant position on his LIV Golf team, and the six-time major winner has made it clear he’s keen to recruit record-breaking amateur starlet Jackson Koivun. The 20-year-old studies at Auburn University, known for its successful golfing programmes, but he has already managed to cause quite a stir on the PGA Tour this season.

Not only has he been an exceptional performer in the university circuit for the Auburn Tigers, but has also proven himself against seasoned professionals. Koivun has competed in seven PGA Tour-sanctioned tournaments this season, including the gruelling US Open at Oakmont, which was the site of his only missed cut.

Phil Mickelson names the PGA Tour youngster who's 'destined for greatness' and encourages him to join LIV Golf instead

JUST IN: I can do anything: Tiger Woods hints at possible comeback

In four tournaments since then, he has secured T11 or better finishes, and he only narrowly trailed world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler at last week’s Procore Championship.

Scheffler secured victory at 19-under-par following an outstanding final round in Napa, California, with Koivun finishing just three strokes behind. By achieving that, he became the first amateur to secure three consecutive top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour since Ken Venturi in 1956.

Such displays have unsurprisingly caught Mickelson’s attention, who needs to fill a spot on his LIV Golf side, the HyFlyers, following Andy Ogletree’s relegation last month. Mickelson, 55, went on record with his admiration of Koivun, suggesting on social media that he will attempt to entice the youngster to join the HyFlyers.

“This young man is an amazing talent and destined for greatness. He would also look great in a HyFlers outfit,” Mickelson posted on X, adding a winking emoji. LIV made its entry into the professional golf world by poaching big names from the PGA Tour, including Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka.

However, the breakaway league’s approach has significantly shifted in recent seasons, focusing more on recruiting talents straight from university. LIV’s goal is to build its own stars to supplement the core of big names.

The likes of Josele Ballester and Caleb Surratt, formerly of Arizona State and Tennessee, respectively, are evidence of LIV’s new tactic, and they have both acquitted themselves well in their first steps as professionals.

Koivun is the No. 1 player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, with five wins in 42 counting events. His success comes as no surprise after being the highest-ranked recruit in the 2023 class.

And he’s lived up to that potential in NCAA competition. He clinched the Haskins Award, given to the outstanding player in college golf, as a freshman in 2024. He also claimed an award named after Mickelson, the Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award.

He narrowly missed out on the NCAA Individual Championship in 2024, finishing tied for second, but his performance was enough to guide the Tigers to their first national title in the programme’s history.

Koivun has already secured a PGA Tour card through its University Accelerated programme, but he’s put it on hold until next year. He’s chosen to return to Auburn in pursuit of an individual national title.

Once the 2025/26 university season ends, he’ll likely be faced with the biggest decision of his career to date. PGA Tour membership has already been secured, but it is clear Mickelson – and other LIV teams, for that matter – will have their eyes on signing one of the top talents in the sport.

Keep Reading
By
CELEB NEWS

LIV Golf star Phil Mickelson slams ‘disgusting rhetoric’ after

By
Phil Mickelson

LIV Golf star Phil Mickelson slams ‘disgusting rhetoric’ after Charlie Kirk assassination

LIV Golf star Phil Mickelson has been among the top sports figures to speak about the assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.

Kirk, 31, was shot and killed while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The shooting sparked a 33-hour manhunt and led to the arrest of Tyler Robinson in connection with the incident on Friday. Mickelson appeared to be keeping a close eye on the rhetoric that has been used in the days since Kirk’s killing.

Phil Mickelson Reacts to Charlie Kirk Assassination “This Is Sick! - YouTube

READ:How Rory McIlroy victory sets stage for Donald Trump’s Do

“The assassination of Charlie Kirk is bringing out some of the best in humanity and it’s also exposing some of the worst,” he wrote on X in response to a statement from the president of the Oxford Union. “The unification, love, support, and outcry on his behalf throughout the world is heartwarming.

“The number of people supporting Tyler Robinson’s appalling behavior has opened my eyes to a side of extremism with a moral superiority complex that has also shaken my belief in people in general. I hope they are held accountable for their disgusting rhetoric.”

Mickelson also shared a post featuring one of Kirk’s debates. The talk with another student featured Kirk shutting down a college-aged man and his “hate” for billionaires like President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

“His ability to use words and his intellect to win debates is what scared them,” Mickelson wrote.

On Sunday, the NFL world honored Kirk with moments of silence before teams played their games. There were only a handful of teams not to have a moment to pay tribute to Kirk.

 

Keep Reading
By
CELEB NEWS

Phil Mickelson draws massive online response for attacking liberal

By
Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson draws massive online response for attacking liberal reaction to Charlie Kirk murder

Once criticized for whitewashing Saudi Arabia’s human-rights record, Phil Mickelson has seized the moral high ground on social media by attacking critics of Charlie Kirk in the aftermath of the conservative influencer’s murder in Utah.

‘The assassination of Charlie Kirk is bringing out some of the best in humanity and it’s also exposing some of the worst,’ the 55-year-old golf legend wrote on X. ‘The unification, love, support, and outcry on his behalf throughout the world is heartwarming.’

Phil Mickelson explodes at sick online support for Tyler Robinson after Charlie Kirk assassination in Utah | International Sports News - The Times of India

READ: Phil Mickelson reveals who he thinks is the greatest golfer of all time, and this insane stat proves it

Mickelson then turned his anger toward suspected shooter Tyler Robinson and those whom the LIV Golf star

sees as excusing the defendant’s alleged crime.

‘The number of people supporting Tyler Robinson’s appalling behavior has opened my eyes to a side of extremism with a moral superiority complex that has also shaken my belief in people in general,’ Mickelson continued. ‘I hope they are held accountable for their disgusting rhetoric.’

Mickelson spent much of Sunday re-posting examples of such rhetoric. He highlighted one teacher accused of saying the ‘world is better off without’ Kirk and Durham, North Carolina‘s police chief for criticizing Kirk’s own rhetoric.

The post generated a significant online response, much of which came from those who agreed with Mickelson. Billionaire X owner Elon Musk, for one, followed by writing that Kirk’s critics ‘will be held accountable.’

‘The world needs to see how many people actually support murdering a father of two for having open debates on college campuses,’ another of Mickelson’s followers responded.

Many others, however, were upset by Mickelson’s attempt to celebrate Kirk – a podcaster who’d drawn criticism from the left for arguing against the 1964 civil rights act and for supporting gun rights amid widespread mass shootings.

‘Hahaha, referring to Tyler as an extremist while trying to venerate Charlie is diabolical and a White thing to do,’ one critic wrote on X, accusing Mickelson of having a racial bias in favor of Kirk.

Others were upset to see Mickelson focused on rhetoric when innocent civilians are dying in war zones around the world.

‘Genocide, killing and starvation of children has already exposed some of the worst in humanity 2 years now,’ another critic wrote.

Several commenters accused Mickelson of hypocrisy for taking a reported $200 million to defect from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf – an upstart circuit funded by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).

In 2022, Mickelson famously told golf writer Alan Shipnuck that LIV’s Saudi backers were ‘scary mother***ers’ who’d killed Washington Post reporter and regime critic Jamal Kashoggi with a bone saw at a consulate in Istanbul years earlier. (Mickelson would later say the comments were taken out of context and were given off the record)

But despite acknowledging the murder and Saudi Arabia’s deplorable human rights record, Mickelson still felt good about defecting from the PGA Tour to LIV for a nine-figure payday.

Naturally, critics were happy to remind Mickelson of this.

‘Sit down you took tens of millions from Saudi Arabia you sellout,’ one critic told Mickelson on X.

Mickelson's belief in humanity has been 'shaken' by some critics' reaction to Kirk's death

Robinson, 22, was arrested Friday after a 33-hour manhunt following Kirk’s killing during a speech at Utah Valley University.

Kirk’s alleged assassin made chilling remarks about the conservative commentator during a family dinner in the lead-up to his murder, Daily Mail reported earlier on Friday. Robinson also brought up Kirk’s visit to Utah Valley University on September 10 and spoke of his dislike for the 31-year-old MAGA influencer, family members told investigators.

‘They talked about why they didn’t like him and the viewpoints that he had,’ Utah governor Spencer Cox revealed in a press conference on Saturday.

The family members also told police Robinson described Kirk as ‘full of hate and spreading hate.’

Robinson’s comments raised a red flag among his family – so much so that they told police about the conversation following his arrest for Kirk’s murder. It was Robinson’s father who ultimately turned his son into law enforcement.

The suspect now faces charges of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, and obstruction of justice, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Keep Reading
By
GOLF

Phil Mickelson reveals who he thinks is the greatest golfer of all time, and this insane stat proves it

By
Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson has revealed who he thinks is the greatest golfer of all time, and there is an incredible statistic that backs him up.

The six-time major winner is on the short list of golf’s all-time greats himself, but he named someone else at the top of the sport’s hierarchy.

Mickelson, known for his brash confidence, which sometimes verges on arrogance, made the claim in his own way. He was discussing one of the greatest moments and achievements in his esteemed career, but he did take the time to lay flowers at someone else’s feet.

Phil Mickelson 'feels so good' about playing LIV Golf Series and will not resign from PGA Tour | Golf News | Sky Sports

READ: How Rory McIlroy’s story captures the heart of a nation

Phil Mickelson says Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer of all time

On Grant Horvat’s YouTube channel, Mickelson said that his great rival, Tiger Woods, was the greatest golfer of all time.

He said, almost flippantly, “Obviously, his record is his record; he’s the greatest of all time. I’ve seen him do things with a golf ball that I’ve never seen anybody be able to do. His play in 2000 was indescribable, how good it was.”

That’s high praise from Mickelson, who was forced to bear witness to some of Woods’ greatest ever moments.

The conversation was centred around Mickelson’s putter, called “Tiger Slayer” after the many times he defeated Woods with that flatstick in hand. Mickelson explained the origin of the name, and broke down his record with Woods over the years.

“2012 AT&T [National] is where my putter got the name,” he explained.

“I used that putter and I made everything. I shot 64, he shot 75, and that’s where it initially slayed the Tiger. Then it kept doing it.

“He owned me in the early part of his career, then in the second part, I owned him. After ‘07 I started working with Butch [Harmon] and started to do really well against him head-to-head.”

Harmon was Woods’ golf coach before working with Mickelson, and he worked wonders for both careers. According to the PGA Tour, Woods still holds the all-time edge over Mickelson 16-15-4, but with Tiger Slayer in hand, Mickelson certainly closed the gap.

An incredible Tiger Woods stat shows why he is the GOAT

Woods’ dominance in the early 2000s, especially, was unmatched. He won 14 majors between 1997 and 2009, his most successful era. The rest of the field couldn’t get close to him, and even when Woods was hurt, he won, like during the 2008 US Open.

Between those years, Woods had a cumulative score in majors of -134. Mickelson was the only player within 250 strokes of Woods, having shot +99. That’s a 235-shot difference between the best and second-best golfers of their era.

Mickelson made some ground back in the 2010s, when his rival’s performance level fell off despite Woods winning the 2018 Masters. But Woods’ run will be remembered forever as the most dominant a golfer has ever been.

Keep Reading
By