Despite creating a social-media firestorm overnight, Phil Mickelson brushed off the distraction and fired an opening 67 at the Saudi International. He was five shots off Matteo Manassero’s early lead.
In comments to Golf Digest on Wednesday, Mickelson took aim at the PGA Tour and said that he’s looking for opportunities elsewhere – perhaps the Saudi-backed Super Golf League – because of the Tour’s “obnoxious greed.”
“If the Tour wanted to end any threat [from the rival leagues], they could just hand back the media rights to the players,” Mickelson told Digest. “But they would rather throw $25 million here and $40 million there than give back the roughly $20 billion in digital assets they control. Or they give up access to the $50-plus million they make every year on their own media channel. There are many issues, but that is one of the biggest.”
Full-field scores from PIF Saudi International
Mickelson didn’t retreat on Thursday after his opening round, either.
When asked by a reporter about the added “buzz” this week in Saudi Arabia, where 20 of the top 50 players in the world are competing, Mickelson said: “There’s a lot of complexities that are working themselves out right now in the sport of golf. Because of some opportunities that create leverage for the players, we have a chance to get in a more equitable position with other major sports. We’re so far behind because we don’t have player representation like the Players’ Association and collective bargaining and all those things, and we have such differing views, and for the first time in my 30 years there’s some leverage.
“I don’t know where we’re headed. I don’t know, because there’s so many different parts that need to be addressed. I think, in the end, all the things are going to be very positive, but there’s a lot going on, which is a good thing.”
Mickelson has been one of the players most often linked with the proposed SGL, along with Bryson DeChambeau and Lee Westwood.
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