“It was kind of a cordial friendship,” explained Justin Thomas while alluding to his relationship with Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson. The athlete said so in a press conference ahead of the 2024 BMW Championship when he was queried about the two amid ongoing merger talks. However, fast forward a couple of days, and it seems ‘Lefty’ can rest easy now. Enter Bryson DeChambeau with his words of comfort.
The ‘Scientist’ was spotted in an interview with GOLF.com while in Dallas to promote the LIV Golf Team Championship. During the same time, the LIV Golf Pro was asked about one thing that he learned about Phil Mickelson that he didn’t know before he defected to the Saudi-backed league. And all DeChambeau talked about was how much the left-handed pro cared about everything.
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May 18, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Bryson DeChambeau reacts after a putt on the first green during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Valhalla Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports“Just how much he cares about the game,” divulged an impressed DeChambeau as he responded to the curious query, “How much he cares about getting people into the game.” In addition, the 2-time U.S. Open champ also took to express his desire to see the 54-year-old get the attention he deserved: “He’s an entertainer and cares so much. I wish people could see that.”
It appears Justin Thomas has failed to “see that.” The PGA Tour Pro had revealed his thoughts on his friendship with Mickelson, despite the latter being allegedly close to him when on Tour. “We never were planning any trips together or having dinners together or anything like that,” disclosed the American while denying any close connection he had with the pro in the past.
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“It was just we were peers that played with and against each other on tour.” added the 31-year-old PGA Tour Pro, “We said “hey” and caught up when we saw each other. Nothing has changed from when I’ve seen them in the majors.” Apparently, they had last crossed paths back at Royal Troon when the two golfers teed up at the Open Championship for the last major of the season. Well, one can’t always get what they want. The left-handed athlete would have fully realized this when he made his jump to LIV Golf. Fortunately, it wasn’t all for naught, as he was able to inspire other pros there as well, including DeChambeau.
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Is Phil Mickelson finally getting the respect he deserves, or is it too little, too late?
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Phil Mickelson’s past and future plans stay true to Bryson DeChambeau’s praise
One of the best short players of the game, the HyFlyers GC skipper has, many times over the years, made videos and content for golf fans, dishing out tips and advice on the sport. What’s more, he had even once divulged his plans to entertain his fans and the rest of the community alike by becoming an instructor-cum-sport vlogger following his retirement.
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“I’m going to shoot some Pros vs Schmos 9-hole matches,” disclosed Phil Mickelson as he responded to Chris McKee about his future plans. In addition, he also said, “I’ll share insights throughout as well as talk a little smack. It won’t be the highest quality video but it’ll be fun for me to do and fun to watch I think too.” Interestingly, the golfer was all about sharing the experience that he had garnered in the sport with his fans.
The golfer surely has left a lot of marks in the history of the sport throughout his 32-year-old professional career. And, he seems determined to keep doing just that as he revealed the same through an X post; “I would like to help others find the same enjoyment and fulfillment that the game of golf has provided me… There’s so many great things about the game of golf and I would love others to experience those things.” But then again, that is a thing for the future. His fans would, at the moment, want the golfer to retain his form, whether it be LIV Golf or the majors!
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Is Phil Mickelson finally getting the respect he deserves, or is it too little, too late?