19th Hole
Phil Mickelson’s LIV Golf sign-on fee is revealed as he’s now expected to miss PGA Championship
To clear up the most recent speculation, Phil Mickelson’s agents recently released a statement confirming his intention to defend his PGA Championship and take part in the US Open, the latter being the only major he has yet to win.
SportFive agency representative Steve Loy made the official announcement that:
“Our client Phil Mickelson is officially registered to play in the PGA Championship as well as the U.S. Open. We have also filed a request on his behalf for a release to play in the first LIV Golf Invitational in London, June 9 – 11. This request complies with the deadline of April 25 set forth by the PGA Tour to compete in a conflicting tour event.”
The statement continued with less certainty:
“Phil currently has no concrete plans on when and where he will play. Any actions taken are in no way a reflection of a final decision made, but rather to keep all options open.”
As per the statement, the 51-year-old has also officially requested a release from the PGA Tour in order to play at the opening event of the LIV Golf Invitational Series, something that a report in The Telegraph suggest has riled the PGA of America with the possible result that he is forced to withdraw from the defence at Southern Hills.
With the inaugural tournament taking place at the Centurion Club in London just a week before that illusive major at Brookline, and the increasing threat of legal action between the two sides, there is also speculation Mickelson may not attempt to complete the career grand slam.
The six-time major winner has had a torrid few months.
Initially promoting the Saudi golf league, a released conversation with a renown golf reporter revealed he believed he could use the threat of the new tour as leverage against the PGA Tour against their stance on media rights.
That led to something of a ‘no-man’s-land’ for Mickelson with the PGA Tour taking a stern stance against his comments, players distancing themselves from the lucrative prize-money on offer, and LIV chairman, Greg Norman, having to rehash initial plans.
The resulting furore led to Mickelson taking a self-enforced break from the PGA Tour and Norman admitting that:
“It was a kick in the teeth. There’s no question about it. It was a gut punch – we were so close. On that Tuesday we had our strength of field ready to go and the PGA Tour heard about this and threw a giant redwood tree in our roadway. And they did. There’s no question about it. They created a disruption by putting that information out, all those comments about Phil out there.”
With the latest statement seeming to confirm that the Saudi-backed tour has welcomed back Mickelson with an open-door policy, The Telegraph report that the 51-year-old received $30m up front and must appear in each Series event or accept the penalty of paying back a percentage of that fee and more.
Whilst PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has suggested he will grant leave to tour members in order for them to play at the opener taking place opposite the Canadian Open, further agreement looks in doubt as the following events clash with the John Deere Classic and Rocket Mortgage Classic before three of the last five events also take place in the USA.
Last week, world number 1053, Robert Garrigus, confirmed his agreement to play in London, and whilst that caused a minor ripple, speculation then ramped up who has also agreed to play alongside Mickelson in June and beyond. Names such as Louis Oosthuizen, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Paul Casey have been banded about with suspicious regularity and with the opener just six weeks away, the rumour mill can only get more frenetic.
As for Mickelson, the year doesn’t seem to get any less cloudy and reporters continue to watch every move, with the veteran spotted on the course this week ahead of his expected comeback.
Rumors of Phil Mickelson’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. He had plenty of speed yesterday at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club. pic.twitter.com/N3NhqwEA6v
— Fire Pit Collective (@firepitstories) April 28, 2022
It seems as if there is a fair way to go yet before any conclusion to this story.
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19th Hole
LET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you
On Friday morning, Ladies European Tour player, Hannah Gregg, took to social media to share her weekly expenses playing on the LET.
Expenses of my first week on Ladies European Tour:
Flights: $2600
Work Visa: $350
Food: $377
Caddie: $0 because I have an amazing Fiancé
Hotel: $0 because @GregChalmersPGA sorted me host housing for the week! ?
Rental Car: +0 because the Tour Tee guys GAVE me their car ??…— Hannah Gregg (@hannahbggg) April 26, 2024
“Expenses of my first week on Ladies European Tour: Flights: $2600 Work Visa: $350
- Food: $377
- Caddie: $0 because I have an amazing Fiancé
- Hotel: $0 because @GregChalmersPGA sorted me host housing for the week!
- Rental Car: +0 because the Tour Tee guys GAVE me their car
- Gas: $165
- Entry Fee: $130
- Lounge Pass for caddie: $50
- Gym: $0
- Yardage book: $0
- Total expenses: $3672
Made cut, finished 54th, total earned: $1244 Factor in 35% tax on earnings. To break even, needed to finish 24th. To make money, 21st. Guess we have our goals laid out for next event!”
When factoring in Gregg’s free housing, free caddie and free rental car, it’s evident that most LET players would have to finish well inside of the top-20 to make any money.
With ridiculous amounts of money being thrown around in professional golf these days, it’s important to remember the other side of the coin as well. There are countless professionals out there who struggle to get by on their golf salary.
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19th Hole
54-hole golf tour deemed eligible for OWGR points…but it’s not LIV
After a seventeen-month application process, a 54-hole golf tour was deemed eligible for OWGR points.
Unfortunately, for LIV Golf and their fans, it was the Clutch Pro Tour.
After the decision, which is effective immediately, OWGR chairman Peter Dawson issued a statement.
“This is a significant milestone for golf, and OWGR is deeply encouraged by the achievement and the continued efforts in developing the sport of golf in the United Kingdom.”
“We look forward to watching the progress of the Clutch Pro Tour as it continues to play a key role in the development of players from the region,” Dawson added.
OWGR Announcement
Read more here – https://t.co/7J4bFpawqv#OWGR#OfficialWorldGolfRanking pic.twitter.com/ZfBJWCFAm8— OWGR (@OWGRltd) April 25, 2024
The Clutch Pro Tour operates in the United Kingdom and features a 36-hole cut. It also has an open qualifying school.
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19th Hole
Charlie Woods attempting to qualify for spot at 2024 U.S. Open
As first reported by Bob Harig of Sports Illustrated, Charlie Woods will be attempting to qualify for this year’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.
The first stage of qualifying for this year’s tournament will be an 18-hole local event on Thursday, April 25th, in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
There will be 84 players in the field, five of which will reach the 36-hole qualifier that will take place in June.
Earlier this season, Charlie attempted to qualify for the Cognizant Classic, and struggled, shooting an 86.
If the younger Woods is able to qualify, he will tee it up in the same field as his father in a few months at one of the more historic U.S. Open venues.
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