In an interview for a forthcoming book, an excerpt of which author Alan Shipnuck shared online Thursday, Phil Mickelson said he helped Greg Norman get the business plan for a Saudi-backed rival golf league off the ground.
Mickelson and three other players who were not identified paid for attorneys to craft the so-called Super Golf League’s operating agreement, the biggest sign yet that he is serious about switching allegiances.
Shipnuck, who said the interview took place in November, wrote that Mickelson himself described the Saudis’ plan as “sportswashing,” a term describing a nation or kingdom that funds flashy sporting events and leagues to gloss over human rights abuses.
“They’re scary m—–f—–s to get involved with,” Mickelson told Shipnuck. “We know they killed (Washington Post reporter and U.S. resident Jamal) Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates.
“They’ve been able to get by with manipulative, coercive, strong-arm tactics because we, the players, had no recourse.”
Mickelson went on to say that PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan “won’t do what’s right” unless the players have more leverage in negotiations.
“And the Saudi money has finally given us that leverage,” he said. “I’m not sure I even want (the league) to succeed, but just the idea of it is allowing us to get things done with the (PGA) Tour.
The six-time major winner recently explained his grievance that the PGA Tour controls players’ media rights, describing it as “obnoxious greed.” He told Shipnuck in November that he believes players should own the highlights of their own shots, saying the videos could be turned into NFTs.
“We played those shots, we created those moments, we should be the ones to profit,” he said. “The Tour doesn’t need that money. They are already sitting on an $800 million cash stockpile.”
Mickelson, 51, won the 2021 PGA Championship to become the oldest major winner in golf history. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2012.
Collin Morikawa, Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Spain’s Jon Rahm said this week that that they are not interested in joining the Super Golf League. It was reported that the league offered Bryson DeChambeau $135 million to join them, though he called that report “wrong.” Australia’s Adam Scott and England’s Lee Westwood have cited non-disclosure agreements they signed with league organizers.
–Field Level Media