Phil Mickelson’s Arch Rival Demands Strict Penalties for LIV Rebels Targeting PGA Tour Return; Golf World Divided

Returning to the PGA Tour? It might not turn out to be so easy to come back and play on the circuit if things proceed the way they are currently going. The reason? From Rory McIlroy to Scottie Scheffler, the players themselves are divided when it comes to the prospect of allowing the pros to make a return to the Jay Monahan-led Tour. Now, enter one more critic, none other than Phil Mickelson’s biggest critic.

A tweet was shared by the analyst a while back, replying to a question posed by a golf enthusiast about what the athletes from the Saudi-backed league should do to return to the PGA Tour. However, dishing out his opinion of demanding penalties only went on to complicate the situation further as the community responded with thoughts of their own!

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Replying to a user named Stoney River on his X handle (previously known as Twitter), Brandel Chamblee mentioned how the athletes from the PIF-funded circuit should “sit out for a period of time” and “pay fines” as well. Did it end there? No, as the critic went ahead to also put forward the idea of them supporting or playing in “only non-signature events for as long as they played for LIV.”

While not as brutal as Chamblee, Scheffler, along with the likes of Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas also called for some kind of penalty for the defectors. The current world No. 1 expressed his belief in the need to create a pathway for them to come back. But even so, the pros shouldn’t be able to do so without making meaningful “contributions” back to the Monahan-led circuit.

McIlroy, however, wasn’t of the same stance, as he had made some drastic changes in his opinions regarding the Greg Norman-led circuit and the LIV golfers. Known as one of the staunch PGA Tour loyalists, the Northern Irishman has gone ahead to mention how the LIV golfers need to be able to come back without any penalties being imposed on them: “Let them come back… I don’t think there should be a punishment.”

Well, the tweet sure did initiate a discussion in its comments among the golfing enthusiasts. However, not every response was in support of the analyst and his views, as many took to reply to the post, sharing their thoughts.

The prospect of returning LIV golfers throws the internet into a fervor

The responses from the community were divided into viewpoints. From demanding a penalty for the defectors to not caring for their comeback to advocating for the same, the tweet sure went ahead to rake in a frenzy of comments. Let’s take a quick look at some of them.

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Chamblee did share his thoughts on the defectors ‘ returning’ to the tour. However, what about those who have not qualified for the circuit even once in their career? Well, an enthusiast pointed out the same as he took to the comments.

Some were extreme in their opinions. A certain follower came forward and went ahead to point out how the PGA Tour shouldn’t allow them to return. It seems like they were adamant in their stance, as the X user didn’t even stop to suggest a penalty for them but wanted them to be out of the PGAT.

One can’t deny the influx of great talent to the circuit as athletes like Viktor Hovland, Nick Dunlap, and Ludvig Aberg managed to leave a mark in the sport. This has undoubtedly led to many not wanting the defectors to make a comeback to the PGA Tour.

However, not everyone supported Mickelson’s nemesis. A fan went ahead to highlight how the likes of ‘Lefty’ and Dustin Johnson have lifetime membership on the PGA Tour owing to their accolades. Hence, they should be able to make a comeback.

The prospect of leaving a legacy and growing the game is a tough argument to crack. But a follower strongly pointed out how the inception of the Saudi-backed league has inevitably led to an increase in revenue for the sport, all the while alluding to the recent PGAT-SSG deal.

Another fan couldn’t bring their heads to the idea of retribution being taken out upon the people who defected. They went ahead to highlight the effect that the disruptive tour has had on the Monahan-led circuit, leading to the sport as a whole becoming a better product as well.

Well, the whole argument about dishing out penalties is surely a complicated one. While the DP World Tour does have such a system in place, it remains to be seen whether the PGA Tour would also adopt a similar one or not.

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