Phil Mickelson Might Become a Non-Playing Captain? Lefty’s Nemesis Sheds Light on a Stark Possibility

The first person to leave the PGA Tour and join LIV Golf. Yes, we are talking about Phil Mickelson who joined the Saudi-backed League back in 2022. Moreover, he did so for a reported whopping amount of $200 million, the highest by any player before Jon Rahm came along. However, with the performance he has dished out on the circuit till now, is his future on the same safe?

Curiosity naturally arises as to what would happen to ‘Lefty’ once the time stated by his contract with the alternate tour is over, as was posed by a golfing enthusiast on X. Well, as an answer to the same, a tweet was shared by the 53-year-old’s arch-rival a while back that revealed the future of the various team captains, including the 6-time major champ in LIV Golf!

Will LIV Golf extend Phil Mickelson’s contract?

Alan Shipnuck went ahead to reply to a question posed by a golfing fan who expressed his doubt as to how the PIF-funded circuit “wouldn’t” possibly “give… 200M for a guy that is usually in the bottom 5 every week.” The author mentioned how “All the captains (plus Talor Gooch) have 4-year deals,” from the time they signed on to the league.

Adding on, he pointed out how the “machinations and negotiations in the fall of ‘25” between Yasir Al-Rumayyan and the various players, including the likes of Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cameron Smith, would “define LIV’s future.” Moreover, he also shared how there are talks of Bubba Watson and Mickelson taking on a “non-playing captain role” after 2025.

Why a non-playing captain? Well, over the years since joining the disruptive tour, the 45-time PGA Tour champ hasn’t exactly been dishing out remarkable performances. Over the 23 events that LIV Golf has hosted, he has played in 22 of them with just two top-10 finishes: a T8 at Chicago in 2022 and a T10 in 2023 during the Bedminster tournament.

Nevertheless, one cannot deny the impact that Mickelson as a player has brought into the realm of golf. Thus, it didn’t come off as too much of a surprise when he received the most amount of money for signing over to LIV Golf. However, to enjoy the same, the pro has to abide by certain responsibilities, as per reports.

The demands set by LIV Golf for their players

As per the deal signed with the Saudi-backed league, the professional has to provide the exclusive right to “exhibit, exploit, copy, reproduce and otherwise use” his image as and whenever required by the Greg Norman-led tour. What’s more, he also does not have any right to skip tournaments on the schedule unless and until an emergency calls for the same.

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That’s not all. The agreement also calls for the golfer to convince other athletes to join LIV Golf. As per the deal, he needs to “assist the league operator in seeking to persuade players” to join the alternate tour. Besides, he wouldn’t be allowed to appear for interviews without the permission of the circuit and he is also supposed to wear LIV apparel and logos to every tournament, including non-LIV ones.

There is still time remaining for the golfer’s contract to end. Will Mickelson make a scintillating comeback on the greens? One can only wait and see. Anyway, until then, fingers crossed for the pro!

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