Phil Mickelson made five bogeys and one birdie in his first round at Bedminster on Friday and is 11 shots behind the leaders.
Jonathan Jones/USA Today
BEDMINSTER, N.J. – In many ways he is the face of LIV Golf, the first player to publicly give it legitimacy – with plenty of assaults on his own legacy. Phil Mickelson has endured plenty of criticism throughout a four-month self-imposed exile, his return to golf via a massive guaranteed contract with LIV Golf helping shake the foundations of the game.
Mickelson’s golf has not lived up to his Hall of Fame stature, and that continued Friday at Trump Bedminster, where he three-putted each of his last two greens to shoot 4-over-par 75.
The day began with Mickelson being heckled just before he was about to hit his opening tee shot. That would seemingly be unheard of in these parts, where the six-time major champion is beloved. We’re not all that far from Bethpage Black and Winged Foot and – most importantly – Baltusrol, where he won the 2005 PGA Championship.
Mickelson endured that first-hole distraction and finished up bemoaning his game – but not LIV Golf. On that subject, he went all-in.
“I think the great thing about LIV is it’s got the ability to adapt, make adjustments and change things and make it better instantly,’’ said Mickelson, who finds himself 11 shots back of leaders Henrik Stenson and Patrick Reed after the first round of the 54-hole event.
“The reason why I’m so high on LIV Golf is it addresses the two areas that for the 30 years I’ve played the (PGA) Tour, they have tried and struggled. Meaning LIV has a chance to bring professional golf throughout the world.
“Players here, when they sign up, we receive a ton of money, and we give up our schedule and we commit to wherever they hold the events we’re going to go and we’re going to be there. And then they have the ability to move professional golf throughout the world. I think that’s a really big thing as we try to grow the game of golf throughout the world.
“We might not feel it here in the United States, but globally I think that’s going to be a big impact.’’
Mickelson is sure to get some pushback on those comments. The “grow the game’’ mantra that LIV Golf has often espoused typically brings eyerolls and looks of disdain.
But Mickelson did address a couple of important points that have often be left aside by the players: the big money and a set schedule in which they are required to play all the events.
The guaranteed money and huge purses have been too easily dismissed by players. Of course, the money is a huge part of why they are doing this. To suggest otherwise is folly.
There’s also been a lot of chatter about players getting to play less, and that might be true this year as the LIV Golf Invitational Series is just eight tournaments. But next year, when it transitions to the LIV Golf League, there will be 14 tournaments and Mickelson will be required to play them all. Several of them – perhaps half – will be international events, with stops in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and South America likely.
Having 54-hole events does not necessarily lessen the load of that kind of travel, especially since Mickelson remains exempt for all four major championships.
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Nonetheless, despite the slow start so far with his game, Mickelson was all-in on LIV.
“We as a game and a sport, the viewership has gone up five years to the average age, I believe, of 64, and we have to target a younger generation,’’ he said. “I think the way that is going to happen is two things. One, it’s not a 12-hour day, having to watch golf all day. You’ve got a four-and-a-half hour window (with a shotgun start).
“Second, when I think a streaming partner comes about, I think it’s going to revolutionize the way golf is viewed, because you’ll have no commercials and you’ll have shot after shot after shot and it will capture that younger generation’s attention span. We’ll open up a lot of opportunities to get the younger generation, which again, for 30 years we’ve tried to do and it’s gone the other way.’’
Mickelson talked a good game Friday even if his own game is nowhere close. Since returning at the first LIV event outside of London in early June, Mickelson has played 11 rounds of golf and broken par just once – in his very first round, a 1-under-par 69 at the Centurion Club. He missed the cut at the U.S. Open, played poorly last month in Portland where he didn’t match par, opened the British Open with a score of par-72 at St. Andrews but missed the cut.
“It’s frustrating because I don’t feel lost,’’ he said. “I don’t feel like I’m hitting terrible shots. But I’m just not scoring.’’
Stenson, who played with Mickelson, quipped: “I guess it’s called golf.’’
For the Swede, it was a nice opportunity to get back inside the ropes. He’s had a tumultuous two weeks after his signing with LIV was announced and his subsequent loss of the European Ryder Cup captaincy.
During a Thursday news conference, Stenson – typically an engaging, funny person – seemed subdued and distracted.
But getting back into the arena – he also missed the cut at St. Andrews two week sago – seemed to help. He hit 13 of 14 fairways and 17 of 18 greens to shoot 64.
“It’s nice to be out there playing golf,’’ he said. “Of course it’s been a busy couple of weeks and not the most fun, but we keep our head down and focus on the golf, and just very pleased to have the ability to go out there and do that and play such a solid round. It’s the best I’ve played all year and I’ll take a lot of credit from that.’’
Mickelson is still searching for that form but he had the answers when he came to LIV and the controversy associated with it. When a fan yelled out something about the Saudi backing of LIV Golf, Mickelson calmly stepped back, and regrouped – although he missed the fairway.
“The people here have always been great,’’ Mickelson said. “They’ve really treated me well. I had a really good day with the fans. With Henrik playing well, there was a lot of good things going on.
“I’m just a little frustrated with my game to be honest. It doesn’t feel that far off. I don’t feel lost, I’m just not scoring. I’m going to work on it until I get it fixed.’’
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