It seems like no matter where Phil Mickelson goes, controversy follows. Lefty defected to the Saudi-funded league in 2022, leaving behind his PGAT legacy, and has been a vocal advocate of his new league ever since. He has even taken a stern stand for his fellow LIV compatriots and has even called out the official authorities for what he perceives to be their unfair moves.
Arguably the most controversial of his many controversial moves, like advocating for LIV Golf, is Mickelson’s love for gambling, which has stretched for over 30 years. Recently, there have been some new revelations in Mickelson’s decade-old gambling fiasco, and PGA Tour loyalist Rory McIlroy has something to say about it.
Rory McIlroy chimes in on Mickelson’s gambling revelations with a jab
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As per reports, Mickelson’s old friend, Billy Walters, has revealed some gory details about the golfer’s betting in his upcoming book, “Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk.” Earlier, it was mentioned that in the three decades of gambling, the 45X PGAT champion has lost $40 million, but according to the latest revelation, that figure is nowhere close to the actual amount lost.
As per the latest allegations, Lefty lost nearly $100 million in betting and even tried to bet on the 2012 Ryder Cup, which he was part of. The 6X major champion tried to wager $400,000 on Team USA in the 2012 Ryder Cup. When the news surfaced, it was not well received among the golf fraternity, players, and fans alike.
After the first round at TPC Southwind, wherein McIlroy shot 3 under, he sat down with the press. There, an interviewer questioned him about his thoughts on the latest revelations about Phil Mickelson, and he did not hold back. The Northern Irishman bluntly responded, “At least he can bet on the Ryder Cup this year because he won’t be a part of it.”
Mickelson is currently 36th in the Ryder Cup standings, and that is because of the points he has garnered during the major tournaments of the season. Lefty finished in the second position at the Masters, 58th in the PGA Championship, and missed the cuts at the US Open and the Open Championship.
McIlroy was undoubtedly stern in his opinion about his fellow golfer, arguably thanks to their built-up animosity over the years that stems back to even 2011, when Mickelson publicly called out the 4-time major winner for being “bad” under pressure. Despite that, however, Lefty himself had something to say about the allegations that his old friend, Walters, and the world were accusing him of.
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Phil Mickelson expresses his side of the alleged claims
Shortly before McIlroy made his way to the media center for his post-round conference, Mickelson issued a statement in which he shared his side of the story. Bluntly, Lefty, in his statement, revealed that he would never bet on the Ryder Cup.
The LIV star further explained his stance and claimed that he was well-known by saying that he enjoys a friendly wager; however, what he could never do was compromise the integrity of the game that he plays and loves.
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What are your thoughts about Rory McIlroy’s remarks against Phil Mickelson? And has his gambling controversy only just been rekindled? Let us know in the comments below.
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