How far did Phil Mickelson’s inflammatory remarks against the PGA Tour and its Saudi-backed rival league have an impact? Very, according to Greg Norman.
Norman, the CEO of LIV Golf Investments, told ESPN.com on Monday that the LIV Golf Invitational Series was supposed to start the week of the Genesis Invitational, but Mickelson’s bombshell interview with The Firepit Collective, which was released two days before the first round at Riviera Country Club, caused several committed players to back out.
Norman told ESPN.com, “There’s no doubt [Mickelson’s comments] hurt.” “It harmed a lot of things. The PGA Tour suffered as a result. It harmed us. It had a negative impact on the sport of golf. It was painful for Phil. So, yes, on all counts. It wasn’t just directed at us. However, it unquestionably created a negative momentum against us.”
Prior to Mickelson’s comments, in which he dubbed the Saudis “scary motherf—-ers” and indicated he was simply using the new league as leverage against the PGA Tour, Norman said 30 percent, or 15 of the top 50 players in the world have committed. According to Norman, several of those players “had money in their pockets” at the time and were forced to return it after being pressured by the PGA Tour.
While the names of those players are unclear, a number of elite players, notably Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau, issued remarks in the days afterward expressing their allegiance to the PGA Tour.
Norman and LIV Golf postponed their announcement by nearly a month, instead of announcing a 14-event schedule and a roster consisting of top-100 players. On March 16, they announced an eight-event schedule, but no identities of the players who would compete in those tournaments.
The first LIV Golf event will be held at Centurion Golf Club in London on June 9-11, and will feature 48 players divided into 12 four-man teams. To yet, only Mickelson and Robert Garrigus are reported to have filed for PGA Tour release to compete, however Norman informed ESPN.com that “more than 200” players had registered, including “approximately 15” of the top 100 in the world rankings and two former world No. 1’s.
