In February 2022, the idea of LIV Golf was taking hold and causing many waves throughout the golf status quo. And then came Phil.

Just before the publishing day of journalist Alan Shipnuck’s unauthorized biography of the six-time major winner, the Fire Pit Collective contributor released a column entitled, “The Truth About Phil Mickelson and Saudi Arabia,” in which the author revealed details of a telephone conversation between the two a few months previously.

In it, Shipnuck reveals a few of the issues that were spoken about – the “opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates,” and the control that the tour had on media rights. “We played those shots, we created those moments, we should be the ones to profit. The Tour doesn’t need that money,” Shipnuck reports Mickelson to have said, “They are already sitting on an $800 million cash stockpile.”

During that infamous conversation, it is said that Phil called Saudi Arabia, “scary motherf*ckers to deal with,” and that, ” I’m not sure I even want [the SGL] to succeed, but just the idea of it is allowing us to get things done with the [PGA] Tour.”

Just a few days later, Mickelson took to social media to apologize for his comments, eventually takinng a self-imposed sabbatical from the game, withdrawing from both The Masters and the PGA Championship, an event he would have defended as the oldest major champion on record.

A Statement from Phil Mickelson pic.twitter.com/2saaXIxhpu

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) February 22, 2022

Golf has come a long way since.

In August, the PGA Tour announced several enhancements to the 2023 calendar, with increased prize-money and guaranteed league-based payments, almost certainly prompted by the momentum that LIV was building, and the calibre of player they were attracting. Was this because of the ‘leverage’ that Lefty had spoken about?

Either way, the tension between the PGA Tour (and DP World Tour) and the LIV organization has rarely been higher.

11 players sought an injunction against the PGA Tour though that has now reduced to a piffling number after several plaintiffs, including Mickelson, pulled out. Lately, LIV players continue to live (sorry) it up without particularly worrying about their former alliance – Dustin Johnson, for example, showing absolutely no remorse for his decision to go over to the so-called rebel tour, and Harold Varner has repeatedly said his decision was based on what was good for him and his family, and nobody else.

Whatever the outcome of all of this, we can trace much of the kerfuffle back to that fateful article of 17th February, so imagine the reaction when Mickelson came out with a denial of the entire interview, saying he “never did an interview with Alan Shipnuck.”

Golf writer Dylan Dethier posted a 26-second clip that may well influence the upcoming court case, as well as fan and Tour reaction, of Mickelson denying that any of his conversation was on the record:

Interesting moment from Phil's LIV presser in Saudi Arabia. Asked about his previous comments about Saudi, he answers:

"So I will reiterate, I never did an interview with Alan Shipnuck." pic.twitter.com/fLIrlkyJe5

— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) October 13, 2022

Dethier follows up the tweet with a quote received from the now infamous author:.

“Shipnuck has said he’ll, “go to his grave” knowing it was fair game,” although Lefty is clearly hinting about a ‘private’ conversation going public.

This one will run and run….