Phil Mickelson apologizes for 'reckless' Saudi-backed golf league comments
a statement posted on Twitter.Mickelson, who last year became the oldest major champion in history when he won the PGA Championship at age 50, received criticism for comments he previously made to author and golf writer Alan Shipnuck writing a biography on him that is due out in May.
In the remarks, Mickelson told Shipnuck that the Saudis behind a proposed breakaway rival league were "scary mother (expletive)s to get involved with." He also told Shipnuck that it was worth getting in bed with the Saudis, despite their history of human rights abuses, if it meant a chance to change the PGA Tour."We know they killed (Washington Post columnist Jamal) Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights.
They execute people over there for being gay," he said. "Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates."The interview took place last November.
Shipnuck posted a story based on the phone interview on "The Firepit Collective" website last week. Mickelson also expressed dissatisfaction with how the PGA Tour operates, referring to it as a "dictatorship" in the interview and saying he and three top players had paid attorneys to write the operating agreement of the rival league."The tour likes to pretend it’s a democracy, but it’s really a dictatorship," Mickelson said in the report. "They divide and conquer.
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