Phil Mickelson Extends Olive Branch to Rival Rory McIlroy as PGA Tour Pro Admits His ‘Mistake’

It’s Phil Mickelson this time with a peace offering! The headlines in the golf world were filled with the comments made by Rory McIlroy about LIV Golf a while back. Following the Northern Irishman’s change of heart, this time around, it’s the 53-year-old who extended his hand to the 4-time major champ, all the while pointing out how hard it must have been to admit his “mistake.”

The LIV golfer, in a tweet, mentioned how this is an “opportunity” to “let go of our hostilities.” Adding on, he indicated Jon Rahm’s signing to the Saudi-backed league as nothing short of “a bridge to bring both sides together,” all the while imploring the community to “work towards a positive future.”

The ‘Lefty’ shared the post on his X handle in response to a tweet made by NUCLR GOLF, which reiterated the 24X PGA Tour champ’s comments on the Middle Eastern league. The 34-year-old’s comment on how “judgemental” he had been with the players on the PIF-funded circuit had surprised many in the golfing world, including Tiger Woods’s ex-coach, Hank Haney.

Adding on, the 2-time PGA Championship winner, surprisingly, expressed his disbelief at the fact that the “PGA Tour has done so well for so long.” Moreover, he also commended LIV Golf by pointing out how it has done well to “expose the flaws in the system” while alluding to the inability of the PGAT to guarantee player participation to the sponsors. Well, after listening to the same, the six-time major champ couldn’t help but let bygones be bygones. However, this act by the professionals can’t help but make people wonder if it puts an end to the tussle between the duo.

Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy: The end to an era of feuds?

Ever since the inception of the disruptive tour in June 2022, the two professionals have been engaged in a bitter tussle in the public domain. From taking a jab at McIlroy’s advocation of an “off-season” to work on his game to receiving one back for his gambling controversy, the pair have taken ruthless swipe after swipe at each other for a long time.

Following the inability of the four-time major champ to defend his title at the RBC Canadian Open, the American had tweeted how “LIV would be perfect for him,” alluding to the off-season comment, all the while indicating how he doesn’t think “there’s a team that wants him on it because they’d have to deal with all his BS.” 

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Was that all? Not even close! The 2011 U.S. Open champ, after the announcement of the $3 billion merger, expressed his ardent hatred for LIV Golf. He also mentioned how the defectors shouldn’t be let back in while alluding to the likes of Mickelson and the rest. Down the lane, when the betting allegations against the 53-year-old came to light, McIlroy took to poke the pro in an interview by stating that “he can bet on the Ryder Cup this year because he won’t be a part of it.” ‘Twas ruthless, one must say!

This is but a short list of a long record of back-and-forth riff raffs between the two professional golfers. Anyhow, with the start of the establishment of a newfound banner of peace between the duo, coupled with the soon-to-be-finalized merger, one can’t help but wonder – does this paint the start of a new era in the sport? Only the future knows!

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