Phil Mickelson Comes Clean About Excessive Gambling, Admits Addiction
Phil Mickelson has earned nearly $95 zillion on the course of study during his World Golf G. Stanley Hall of Fame calling and an estimated $700 million more from endorsements. But the 45-time PGA Tour victor admits play has taken a toll on his fiscal health.
Mickelson, affectionately known as “Lefty,” saw his report and similitude tumble after the 51-year-old uttered funding for the LIV Golf Invitational Series before this year. The seven-event tour is partially financed past the Saudi Arab government’s Public Investment Fund. The Saudis feature long been criticized for human rights violations.
The PGA Tour helped make believe Mickelson wildly wealthy and single of the most-liked athletes inwards the world. But that didn’t stop him inward Feb from scolding the Tour past expression the system has “obnoxious greed.”
Following public backlash regarding his criticism of the Tour and back up of the Saudi Arabian golf league, Mickelson subsequently proclaimed he’d follow stepping come out of the public spot to “self-reflect and learn.” This week, Mickelson emerged out of closing off to substantiate his involvement with LIV Golf.
But he also opened upwardly about his gambling. And it’s those major losses that are shedding some limpidity as to wherefore Mickelson power follow jumping ship.
Lefty Losses
Mickelson issued a financial statement yesterday eve regarding his consignment to LIV Golf.
The six-time major victor says he hopes to noneffervescent child's play inward for each one of the four majors moving send on after skipping this year’s Masters and PGA Championship, the latter of which he was the defending champion. But Lefty says the chance to make a “new path” with a “fresh start” is something that has him excited at this present of his career.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated golf writer Bob Harig, who late jumped employ ships from ESPN, Mickelson was asked directly nearly his gambling.
My gambling got to a pointedness of existence reckless and embarrassing. I had to address it. And I’ve been addressing it for a list of years. And for hundreds of hours of therapy. I feel upright where I’m at there,” Mickelson answered.
“Amy [Mickelson’s wife] has been really supportive… We’re at a place after many years where I finger comfortable with where that is. It isn’t a threat to me or my financial security,” he added.
Mickelson explained that favorable wagers among his competitors on the golf class during practise rounds — though prohibited by the PGA Tour — are around “creating competition.” But he says, “The anxiety, the other things that come crosswise with gaming turned the row and addiction cancelled the course” is what he needed to address.
In a forthcoming unauthorized biography on Mickelson, golf game author Alan Shipnuck claims Lefty missed around $40 meg gambling 'tween 2010 through and through 2014 alone.
$200M Payday
Mickelson reportedly received someplace inward the neighborhood of $200 million from the Saudis to relocation his trueness to LIV Golf from the PGA Tour. Greg Norman, the face of LIV Golf and helped machinate the tour, said Tiger Woods turned down pat(p) a “mind-blowingly enormous” offer to travel along suit.
LIV Golf begins this Thursday, June 9, with the LIV Golf Invitational London. The three-round tourney uses a shotgun commence for each one day. While to the highest degree US sportsbooks are refraining from offering lines on the tournament, UK books are taking action.
The top-ranked linksman inward the LIV capital of the United Kingdom field, Dustin Johnson, is the betting favourite at 4/1. Mickelson is at 25/1.
Other major winners in the theatre of operations include Louis Oosthuizen (10/1), Sergio Garcia (12/1), Charl Schwartzel (30/1), Steve Martin Kaymer (40/1), and Graeme McDowell (50/1).