News

‘It was reckless’ – Mickelson posts apology for ‘off record’ Saudi remarks; KPMG and Phil split

Published

4 years ago

Feb 22, 2022

On Tuesday, Phil Mickelson made a lengthy apology for comments that he made regarding the Saudi Golf League that had recently gone viral.

Related: Nobody is safe as Phil Mickelson goes on Twitter blocking spree

The comments were made to journalist Alan Shipnuck, who shared them last week ahead of the release of his unauthorised biography of Mickelson, with Lefty allegedly saying he used the Saudi project as leverage against the PGA Tour.

In a statement released today, Mickelson wrote:

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

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) February 22, 2022

“Although it doesn’t look this way now given my recent comments, my actions throughout this process have always been with the best interest of golf, my peers, sponsors, and fans.

There is the problem of off record comments being shared out of context and without my consent. but the bigger issue is that I used words I sincerely regret that do not reflect my true feelings or intentions.

It was reckless, I offended people, and I am deeply sorry for my choice of words. I’m beyond disappointed and will make every effort to self-reflect and learn from this.

Golf desperately needs change, and real change is always preceded by disruption. I have always known that criticism would come with exploring anything new.

I still chose to put myself at the forefront of this to inspire change, taking the hits publicly to do the work behind the scenes.

My experience with LIV Golf Investments has been very positive, I apologize for anything I said that was taken out of context.

The specific people I have worked with are visionaries and have only been supportive. More importantly they passionately love golf and share my drive to make the game better.

They have a clear plan to create an updated positive experience for everyone including players, sponsors, networks and fans.

The last thing I would ever want to do is compromise them or their business in any way, and I have given all of them the option to puase or end relationships as I understand it might be necesarry given the current circumstances.

I believe in these people and companies in these people and companies and will always be here for them with or without a contract.

I have made a lot of mistakes in my life and many have been shared with the public.

My intent was never to hurt anyone and I’m so sorry to the people I have negatively impacted.

This has always been about supporting the players and the game and I appreciate all the people who have given me the benefit of the doubt.

Despite my belief that some changes have already been made within the overall discourse, I know I need to be accountable.

For the past 31 years I have lived a very public life and I have strived to live up to my own expectations, be the role model the fans deserve, and be someone that inspires others.

I’ve worked to compete at the highest level, be available to media, represent my sponsors with integrity, engage with volunteers and sign every autograph for my incredible fans.

I have experienced many successful rewarding moments I will always cherish, but I have often failed myself and others too.

The past 10 years I have felt the pressure and stress slowly affecting me at a deeper level.

I know I have not been my best and desperately need some time away to prioritize the ones I love most and work on being the man I want to be.”

I have incredible partners, and these relationships mean so much more to me than a contract.

Many have been my most influential mentors and I consider all to be lifelong friends.”

Amy Rogers of Golf Channel broke the news on Tuesday evening that sponsor KPMG and Mickelson had mutually agreed to part ways tweeting:

Received the statement below from @KPMG_US confirming that they have ended their longtime partnership with Phil Mickelson. pic.twitter.com/ASytnF1Atb

— Amy Rogers (@TheAmyRogers) February 22, 2022

In response to Mickelson’s apology, Shipnuck has refuted Lefty’s claims that the comments were made off the record:

The 'off the record' piece of this is completely false and I'll have more to say on that shortly. https://t.co/7cogbJlneK

— Alan Shipnuck (@AlanShipnuck) February 22, 2022

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Gianni Magliocco

Gianni is the Managing Editor at GolfWRX. He can be contacted at [email protected]

27 Comments

Pingback: ‘I think he hurt the game of golf’ – Greg Norman on Mickelson’s Saudi comments – GolfWRX
Henry R Fitzgerald

Feb 28, 2022 at 7:42 pm

Shipnuck? Another media hack.

Reply Report comment
Henry R Fitzgerald

Feb 28, 2022 at 7:40 pm

Phil exposed the PGA Tour Mafia and now the Boss Monahan and his little millionaire Capos are piling on Phil.

The PGA Tour is going to need good lawyers because they are going to get hammer with antitrust lawsuits.

Why is the PGA Tour afraid of? Nobody is going to take their right of saving tee times honoring convicted wife beaters or crackhead, like George Floyd.

Reply Report comment
geohogan

Feb 26, 2022 at 11:28 pm

Now that Phil is loosing all his sponsors, his USA income: KPMG, Barclays, Callaway?, Exxon? Amgen? …..

Is move to Saudi a forgone conclusion.

Reply Report comment
geohogan

Feb 25, 2022 at 12:56 pm

“(The PGA Tour’s) brought millions and millions of dollars to communities, it’s brought great competition, great television,” Nicklaus said. “Why would I not support that? Instead, I’m going to go support for my own benefit, see 40 guys break away from the PGA Tour at the whim of an advertising agency in Saudi Arabia?

so says the G.O.A.T.

Reply Report comment
Speedy

Feb 24, 2022 at 12:00 pm

Phil, Greg, Tiger off into the sunset.

Reply Report comment
Jack Nash

Feb 24, 2022 at 8:48 am

Looking in the wrong direction with Phil here. It’s all about revenge for Norman and rightly so. When he was at the top of the heap he suggested to the top brass about Tourneys for the top golfers with big cash payouts. The PGA said get lost and life moved on. Then shortly after Tiger arrived the WGC events started(1999) with the “Top Golfers” and Big Cash” prizes. Seemed that’s what Norman suggested years prior, so Any chance he gets to take a jab at the PGA he will. The new League would feature big cash payouts and even “Team” events which the viewers seem to be clamoring for. The League won’t likely get off the ground but guess what? The PGA has initiated bigger cash payouts, and go figure some “Team” events scheduled this fall. Who woulda thunk it that the PGA was that forward thinking. All they needed to be was pressured. So maybe Phil wasn’t that wrong? As for demonizing the country the league is started from, maybe some of the pros And PGA should see what’s happening with NBA pros and their, lets say equipment brands, and where they’re made? You see a lot of swoosh’s out there.

Reply Report comment
Pingback: Things somehow just got worse (and a bit more embarrassing) for Phil Mickelson – GolfWRX
Professor

Feb 24, 2022 at 1:41 am

So, apparently, Phil called Shipnuck last fall (2021) and just started talking about LIV and the Saudi League. It all comes out and Phil tries to say it was off the record?’ C’mon man! And then, Phil calls Shipnuck last week and tries to backtrack saying it was off the record. But at the end of the day this is Phil being Phil. We all saw this coming when he threw Tom Watson under the bus after the Ryder Cup loss. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong but Tom Watson didn’t hit a shot in that Ryder Cup did he? This was just arrogance gone unchecked. But on a serious note, is Phil going to be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life? He was right about the Saudis being scary @$&*%^s. They do kill people.

Reply Report comment
Michael

Feb 23, 2022 at 8:33 pm

Gambling Phil has relapsed. Kept doubling down with his mouth and ego and lost.

The final chapter of your career pretty much rewrites the others with people who thought they knew you.

Reply Report comment
Speedy

Feb 23, 2022 at 5:33 pm

SGL, Norman, Mickelson, Trump golf courses seem a bad mix.

Regarding occasional world tour or super golf league chatter over the years, Norman seems ready to fail again.

Reply Report comment
- geohogan
  
  Feb 25, 2022 at 12:52 pm
  
  MBS, Trump, Mickelson, Norman…..Narcissists are US
  
  Reply Report comment
Mike Culp

Feb 23, 2022 at 4:11 pm

It seems to me there are several people on here that have never said or done something that they wish they hadn’t.

Reply Report comment
- geohogan
  
  Feb 25, 2022 at 1:00 pm
  
  No worries…MC. Its “off the record”.. boot licker
  
  Reply Report comment
geohogan

Feb 23, 2022 at 9:44 am

Phil didnt intend to reveal, one more time, how self serving
an A hole he is and has always been.

Reply Report comment
- Ted
  
  Feb 23, 2022 at 12:56 pm
  
  Kiss up to evil for paper you don’t need. Check
  Get criticized in twitter for kissing up and insatiable greed. Check
  Get triggered. Check
  Go on twitter ban binge. Check
  Still get criticized for kissing up and censoring. Check
  Fake damage control deflecting blame. Check
  Ruining your product and reputation. Check
  
  Just don’t come back Phil. Done.
  
  Reply Report comment
Tony Rocket

Feb 23, 2022 at 9:20 am

Golf Channel are doing their bidding for the PGA tour. Talk about throwing someone under the bus. It is quite clear the tour is afraid of competition, much like every crony corporation these days. It’s quite rich that the tour and OEMS care so much about human rights while being in bed with China. What a joke?

Reply Report comment
- Tom
  
  Feb 23, 2022 at 11:23 am
  
  Yes. Such a joke that some think they must choose one evil or the other evil.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Professor
  
  Feb 24, 2022 at 1:55 am
  
  Are you saying Golf Channel is throwing Phil under the bus because they’re reporting this story? I’m sorry friend but Phil has done a pretty good job of that all on his own. Again…
  
  Reply Report comment
Henry R Fitzgerald

Feb 23, 2022 at 12:21 am

Wow, I see the GWRX wokesters are deleting posts, lol….

Reply Report comment
- joe
  
  Feb 23, 2022 at 1:07 pm
  
  dumb posts should be deleted. time to marginalize the cray cray. you’ve had your few years of blurting out insanity
  
  Reply Report comment
Henry R Fitzgerald

Feb 22, 2022 at 9:32 pm

What a goof! I have no respect for Mickelson.

A man who can’t stand by his convictions for a dollar is not a man worth listening to.

I could care less what happens to this coward.

Reply Report comment
- Gerald R Henry
  
  Feb 23, 2022 at 1:19 am
  
  You won’t do %$#@
  
  Reply Report comment
toyzrx

Feb 22, 2022 at 6:51 pm

Gotta love Phil though for always being authentic and wild, coming back across from 2 fairways over trying to make a great save.

Reply Report comment
Paul Runyan

Feb 22, 2022 at 6:42 pm

I think there are slightly more import things to be concerned about other than a narcissist golfer…

Reply Report comment
- geohogan
  
  Feb 27, 2022 at 8:58 am
  
  @PR; like concern about narcissist leader(s)
  
  “So Putin is now saying, ‘It’s independent,’ a large section of Ukraine,” Trump continued. “I said, ‘How smart is that?’ And he’s going to go in and be a peacekeeper. That’s the strongest peace force. We could use that on our southern border. That’s the strongest peace force I’ve ever seen.”
  
  He then called Putin a “very savvy” person whom he claimed to know “very, very well.”
  
  Reply Report comment
Tom

Feb 22, 2022 at 4:38 pm

Too late Phil. You should have done the math first. It takes 10 years to build trust and 10 seconds to destroy it.

Good bye.

Reply Report comment

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Thanks to WITBHub, Today’s Golfer, GolfWRX, and Inside Tour Golf for initial research into equipment.

PGA Tour @ Charles Schwab Challenge: Heroic Henley denies Cole

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Metal: Titleist TS3 at 16.5 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist TSi2 at 21 degrees. Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT hybrid 100 TX
Iron: Titleist T250 4-iron. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
Irons: Titleist T100 5-6 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
Irons: Titleist T100 7-9 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 48 and 50 degrees. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 54 and 60 degrees. Shaft: rue Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue S400
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Celine Boutier was the It Girl in 2023. She collected four victories, including a major title at Evian. Boutier reached world number one status, then simply faded into the background. No wins came her way over the next 30 months. On Sunday, she collected LPGA victory number seven, at the same trace as LPGA victory number two.

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Celine’s Suitcase

Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 at 9 degrees. Shaft: Graphite Design AD IZ-5
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Black Ops at 19 and 22 degrees. Shaft: KBS Hybrid Prototype
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Gen5.
Iron: PXG 0311 P Gen 4 5-9 irons
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Metals: TaylorMade Qi4D at 15, 16.5, 21, and 24 degrees
Irons: TaylorMade P760 5 and 6 irons
Irons: TaylorMade P7TW 7-9 irons
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design at 46, 52, 56, and 60 degrees
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Alvaro’s Suitcase

Driver: Ping G430 MAX driver at 9 degrees loft
Metal: Ping G430 MAX 3W
Iron: Ping iDi Driving Iron
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A party on the green!

Alvaro’s time comes in Raleigh with his first win @UNCHealthChamp ? pic.twitter.com/2dmtZdbSzk

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