As His Influence Declines Drastically, Phil Mickelson Forced to Rethink ‘Career’ Plans at LIV Golf

The golf world has witnessed Phil Mickelson build his legacy for the last 32 years. Since making his debut in 1992, Lefty has been an extraordinaire in golf and outside of it. So when he joined the PIF-backed league, his legacy was expected to grow more on the business side as well; after all, Mickelson was the very first defector and a LIV Golf purist.

However, recently, it was revealed that Lefty doesn’t have as much of a say in LIV Golf’s workings, unlike Tiger Woods, who had been a prominent spokesperson for the PGA Tour. Despite both having a profound legacy, Mickelson was kind of ignored by Greg Norman and Co. Amidst his diminishing power in LIV, the 53-year-old made an astounding confession about soon leaving the greens!

Phil Mickelson hints at a near-retirement

In a soon-to-be-released interview with Bloomberg’s Haslinda Amin, Phil Mickelson was spotted sporting the white HyFylers GC hat as he delved into various intriguing topics, particularly concerning his career trajectory and his envisioned role in the future of golf.

From the 90s to the 00s, Lefty was undeniably one of the forces on the greens to be reckoned with. In the 47-second snippet released on Bloomberg’s X account, one can see Mickelson is not afraid to accept the reality that he is now entering a new phase in his professional life. Talking about his future, Lefty revealed, “I’m 53 now and my career, you know, if I’m being truthful it’s toward its end.” Maybe in a year or two, Lefty would not play professionally.

However, not in the sense that he would remove golf altogether from his life. But instead of playing it professionally, Lefty would focus more on helping fellow golfers. Mickelson said, “Now, I would like to help others find the same enjoyment and fulfillment that the game of golf has provided me.” Over the past four decades, Lefty has been an inspiration for many, including Akshay Bhatia, who called him a “big brother” and Jon Rahm, who had always been in Mickelson’s circle.

The three-time Masters winner would like to follow the same path and make more people love golf as much as he has. From the chaos of the outside world, golf had been a safe space for Mickelson. And talking about how at times the game has made him feel, the 53-year-old narrated a few instances where he felt fulfillment from golf.

Mickelson may retire but he would never leave golf

There have been moments when Phil Mickelson would make a headline for all the different reasons. Including the time when he called the PGA Tour “obnoxious” or when his gambling addictions were made public. Throughout the good and bad days, Lefty revealed that golf has given him peace. He expressed, “There’s moments where you’re on a golf course alone, and you have this solace. It’s very solitude and you’re at peace.” 

Not just that, the 45-time PGA Tour winner explained that golf has been a major part of his life and has, in a way, made him enjoy his relationships with friends and family more. Playing with his close ones, through club championships or junior events, or with the best talents in the world, Phil Mickelson reiterated, “All of that creates such fulfillment. There’s so many great things about this game of golf and I would love others to experience those things.” 

So Lefty might leave the professional circuit but his relationship with golf will surely be undying!