Phil Mickelson Stamped a ‘Bait’ by Fans as Bryson DeChambeau Gives LIV Golf a Massive Edge

How long has it been since Phil Mickelson won a major? Very! With his 2021 PGA Championship win, he became the oldest major winner, but things have been slow ever since. In the last 2 years, 2 decorated LIV golfers have won major events: Brooks Koepka, 2023 PGA Championship, and Bryson DeChambeau, 2024 US Open. The Saudi-backed league offered a huge amount to the former PGA Tour pros who switched, including DeChambeau and Mickelson.

Interestingly, Mickelson received around $200 million, and DeChambeau received around $125 million. DeChambeau, however, revealed on the “Country Club Adjacent” podcast that the reported amount is “a little low” compared to the actual figure, though it’s somewhat close. Considering these figures, enthusiasts believe that LIV used Mickelson’s name only to attract the attention of fans. After all, Lefty was one of the most celebrated players in his young days with 45 PGA Tour wins, including 6 major championships. The common consensus is that he does not hold that value anymore!  Why is that?

In 2024, the 54-year-old has been seen struggling on the greens! At this year’s Masters, he finished T-43, just making the cut. In the following two majors, however, he fell short and missed the cut. On the contrary, DeChambeau finished at T6 at Augusta, T2 at Valhalla, and well, T1 at Pinehurst. Recently, @PGATUOR, a spoof page of the PGA Tour shared a post on X featuring both Mickelson and DeChambeau and their LIV Golf contract sum, and it served as a reminder that Mickelson is yet to deliver any remarkable performances.

The focus of this post was not on his achievements but rather on highlighting the disparity in payments between the two golfers. This sparked various sentiments in the comment section from fans, who responded to the comparison in different ways.

What are fans’ views on the comparison between Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson?

Referring to the 54-year-old’s accomplishments, one fan remarked, “Mickelson was the shiny thing to attract attention.” They pointed out that Mickelson’s six major titles had already made him well-known in the community, and LIV chose to capitalize on his reputation to draw attention.

Echoing similar thoughts, this fan commented, “Phil was the bait to get others to join… and he’s like 53 years old.” When Mickelson joined the Saudi league, he was one of the biggest names in golf, with remarkable achievements to his name. They also observed that although he is the oldest major winner, the golfer now holds less chance of teeing up against young golfers like Ludvig Aberg and Scottie Scheffler.

When discussing majors, apart from his six titles, the 54-year-old came close to winning the US Open six times, finishing as runner-up. Reflecting on these aspects of Mickelson’s career, one fan remarked, “LIV paid Mickelson based on his past career, not his future.” These performances have also earned the golfer a special reputation, prompting this comment from a fan: “They weren’t trying to buy wins. They were trying to buy a name.”

Both Bryson DeChambeau and Mickelson joined the Saudi-backed league in 2022. The 54-year-old’s most recent major victory was at the 2021 PGA Championship, whereas DeChambeau’s last victory before this was the 2020 US Open. Comparing these achievements, one fan noted, “Phil was hotter in the streets than Bryson was at that point,” emphasizing that the six-time major winner was still in strong form compared to Bryson DeChambeau during that time.

What do you believe is the actual reason behind these differences in payment? Share your thoughts in the comments!