“I’m not a betting man, as you know,” said ‘Lefty’ in the most casual manner of sorts! Surprised? He was just joking, as he slyly said the same in a quick chat with former pro Rich Beem ahead of The Open. The 54-year-old LIV golfer then quickly followed it with the truth, “I guess that’s probably not true,” while throwing a light jibe at himself. But that’s not the funny part. Interestingly, he passed the comment a day after losing a wager, and that too publicly. A peak Phil Mickelson moment, if you will!

Mickelson had earlier, at the PGA Championship, mentioned how he was “not a gambling man” anymore. But then, what is with this whole wager that the golfer is said to have lost? Moreover, curiosity naturally arises: has the veteran actually gone back to his gambling ways, or was the whole thing a hilarious incident?

The answer to that lies in a collaboration that the 6-time major champ did with YouTuber Grant Horvat. They took each other on in a match released recently on the internet. The stakes? If the professional won, then the content creator would have to buy a year’s supply of Mickelson’s For Wellness coffee (not for himself but for a fan!). However, if the roles were to be reversed, then the LIV golfer would have to wear joggers to the 152nd Open championship. The result seems obvious after spotting the 45-time PGA Tour champ in joggers at Royal Troon.

On the other hand, the whole wager has brought Phil Mickelson’s gambling practices back into the picture, albeit in a very light-hearted manner. But that’s just what it is. The athlete hasn’t relapsed into his addiction. “After many years of receiving professional help, not gambling, and being in recovery from my addictions,” said the golfer in a tweet as he conveyed his determination, “I’m now able to sit still, be present in the moment, and live each day with an inner calm and peace. I still have a lot of cleaning up to do with those I love the most but I’m doing it slowly and as best I can.”

The most important form of support came from the golfer’s wife, Amy Mickelson. “She has loved me and supported me through my darkest and most difficult times,” divulged the athlete in a tweet, “I couldn’t have gotten through this without her… Because of her love, support, and commitment, I’m back on track to being the person I want to be.” The LIV Golf Pro didn’t shy away from expressing love for his soulmate, who helped him with the “reckless” addiction.

Phil Mickelson’s addiction to gambling

“Gambling has been part of my life ever since I can remember,” recounted Phil Mickelson once in an interview. He even divulged how the practices became so severe that “it became reckless.” Alan Shipnuck, in a biography he wrote about the golfer, stated how he had lost more than $40 million through gambling between 2010 and 2014.

Billy Walters, Lefty’s old friend, wrote about the same in his book Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk. He claimed Phil Mickelson bet around $1 billion in various sports and also bet on the 2012 edition of the biennial tournament, the Ryder Cup. Regardless of the past, the golfer seems to be content with his life at the moment.

Even his fans would agree after the professional’s recent comments: “In my experience, the moments with the ones you love will be far more remembered than any bet you win.” A person who seems to have truly grasped what is important in life!