Phil Mickelson is a name that’s earned drum rolls throughout his illustrious career. During his professional golf career, the LIV Golf advocate earned 45 PGA Tour wins, including 6 Major Championships, 1 Players Championship, 2 World Golf Championships, 3 FedEx Cup Playoff events/Tour Championships and 33 Other PGA Tour events.

But Mickelson’s not the one to rest on his laurels. Even now, he’s earning drum rolls for his candid thoughts on the future of golf, shockingly contradicting his own words said before. This happened when recently, Mickelson sat down with sports business analyst Joe Pompliano on The Joe Pomp Show. As a seasoned pro who’s witnessed the game’s evolution firsthand, Mickelson offered a unique perspective on golf’s transition into a global phenomenon.

“I think that golf is going to be in a similar transition [to the music business], is my guess,” Mickelson mused. “We are three or four years in, but it’s going to take a little while for this partnership to work out. It has taken them a long time to come to an agreement, and I think it will take years for this to play out. When all is said and done, I think golf is going to be in a way better place,” Lefty continued.

Mickelson elaborated on his vision for golf’s future, highlighting LIV Golf’s innovative approach to the game. “Because LIV has come in and changed the model entirely by paying for the player’s schedule for 14 weeks. We have 30 free weeks, but 14 they control. Sponsors know what they are buying, TV knows what they are buying, and they have the ability to move us throughout the world.”  He continued, “Now it’s a global sport; we can use tourism budgets, which we have been doing, and start to promote the game on a more global scale.” 

And we do not doubt that considering the Saudi-backed club’s efforts at expanding its reach. Take the Fox Sports partnership for instance. Or Bryson Dechambeau travelling out of the US to play at the Asian International Series. But shockingly, until last year, Phil Mickelson was against the PGA-LIV merger, that people have been longing for.

Until last year, Lefty was unsupportive of the PGA Tour LIV merger

Just last year, he was hesitant about the idea of a merger. In an interview with Bloomberg, Mickelson expressed his reservations, citing the example of Bryson DeChambeau’s success.

“I don’t know if it’s necessary,” Mickelson said. “I know that a few years ago, it was not an option to have elevated events. It was not an option for players to have equity. And it wasn’t an option for players to transcend social media markets and create YouTube channels and have their own social media posts the way Bryson [DeChambeau] has done.”

Mickelson praised DeChambeau’s ability to bring a “cool, hip vibe” to golf, attracting a new audience on YouTube. He argued that LIV Golf’s emergence had already brought about the benefits of a merger, improving both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

However, with the recent changes in LIV Golf’s leadership and strategy, Mickelson’s thoughts on the merger seem to have evolved. The Saudi-backed club has been making significant moves, from replacing Greg Norman as CEO to partnering with FOX Sports and expanding its international tour. The introduction of night-play golf in Saudi Arabia has also generated buzz. As Mickelson described LIV Golf, which is undergoing a “longer disruption period,” the sport’s future looks uncertain.

What do you think? What’s behind Mickelson’s change of heart? Was it the appointment of Scott O’Neil as the new CEO? Share your thoughts in the debate section below!