Phil Mickelson has reportedly had his membership cancelled at his San Diego golf club following allegations of "inappropriate contact" with a female employee, allegations his team say have already been "cleared up".

The initial report by Golf Digest stated that Mickelson is no longer a member at The Farms Golf Club, where he has practiced for decades, after an allegation was made of “nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact” against the 55-year-old.

Mickelson is said to have been confronted about the allegation during a round earlier this year, and immediately left the property without completing 18 holes.

A spokesman for Mickelson responded to Golf Digest though, saying "any misunderstanding has been cleared up" while attorney Tom Clare said the allegations could be "squarely contradicted by objective, video evidence" in his response.

Golf Digest cited The Farms when claiming there is no footage of the incident as there are no cameras in that area - and no video has yet been produced by either side.

The Farms made a statement to Golf Digest confirming an incident had taken place and that a member had been removed, but did not name Mickelson as that individual in question.

"Following a staff member report of member misconduct, the club provided immediate and ongoing support to the staff member, conducted a thorough independent investigation of the incident and took decisive action," read the statement.

"This individual is no longer a member of The Farms Golf Club."

Mickelson has only played one LIV Golf event this year, and announced after missing The Masters that he would take an extended break while dealing with a personal family health matter.

Mickelson team says 'misunderstanding has been cleared up'

The six-time Major champion has not directly responded to the Golf DIgest report, but a spokesman did offer a short statement playing down the alleged incident.

“Any misunderstanding has been cleared up," read the statement. "Phil continues to attend to a family health matter and is uncertain when he will be able to return to professional golf.”

The message from defamation attorney Clare, who says he is representing Mickelson, struck a more serious tone. After claiming there was video evidence to contradict the claims, he added:

“There is a great deal of misinformation circulating and, while Phil’s full attention is devoted to a private family health matter, he has retained defamation counsel and is determined to hold accountable any publication or individual trafficking in speculation or false rumors."

The California Post later reported that the San Diego County Sheriff's Office had attempted to investigate the allegations, but had not received any official report and found no evidence.

The statement said law enforcement "made attempts to locate any evidence to support the potential allegation of a sexual assault" but that “at this time, we have not located any evidence to show an assault has occurred.”

“The Sheriff's Office would absolutely investigate further if provided additional evidence or information."

Claiming the coveted PGA Championship title is one of the four steps any golfer needs to take if they want to become a Grand Slam winner.

The second Major of the golfing season is unique in that it's the only Major that only allows professionals to compete, giving it an extra air of prestige.

The event has been running since way back in 1916, when a match play format was used, before converting to strokeplay in 1958 and becoming the tournament we know and love today.

Of course, with great prestige comes great payouts, and the PGA Championship purse is naturally among the biggest in the golfing world.

Winning the Wanamaker Trophy is one thing, but landing a share of the huge purse is a very nice bonus indeed.

While Jack Nicklaus holds the records for the most wins at the PGA Championship (during the strokeplay era), he doesn't come close to featuring on the all-time list of top earners from the event.

Interestingly, when we look at the top 10 earners in PGA Championship history, there are two golfers who haven't actually won the tournament.

Justin Rose takes tenth place, with earnings of $3,540,011 across a whopping 23 events. The British star's best finish at the PGA Championship was a tie for third back in 2012, which earned him $384,500.

Bryson DeChambeau is also on the list in seventh with earnings of $4,636,217. He's racked up that impressive amount from just eight involvements in the PGA Championship, with back-to-back second place finishes in 2024 and 2025 earning him $2,837,332 alone.

It probably doesn't come as much of a surprise, at least when you really think about it, that Brooks Koepka is at the top of the PGA Championship money list. He's won the tournament more than anyone else in the past couple of decades with three triumphs coming in 2018, 2019, and 2023.

Koepka is clear out in front, too, with earnings of $9,456,726 from 13 events putting him well ahead of Tiger Woods, who comes in second place with winnings of $7,354,862 from 23 events.

Woods did win the tournament four times (in 1999, 2000, 2006, and 2007), but the money on offer back then is nothing compared to where the game of golf is now.

With 32 involvements, Phil Mickelson is the golfer in the top 10 who has featured in the PGA Championship the most, and his earnings of $6,510,066 put him third in the all-time list.

That's not much of a shock considering Lefty also made the cut in 27 out of those 32 events with two victories.

He's followed by another two-time winner, Rory McIlroy. His wins in 2012 and 2014 earned him a combined $3,245,000 towards his total of $6,349,228 over the years.

Rounding out the top five is 2025 PGA Championship winner Scottie Scheffler. That win secured Scheffler $3.42m last year, and he's already earned $6,152,768 from just six events.

The rest of the top 10 includes Justin Thomas ($5,672,581) thanks to his two victories at the PGA Championship in 2017 and 2022.

2015 champion Jason Day ($4,369,608) is in eighth place and Xander Schauffele, who won in 2024, comes in ninth with earnings of $4,363,822 across nine involvements in the PGA Championship.

Another triumph this year for McIlroy or Scheffler would send them to the top of the pile ahead of Koepka, but that man will be desperate to add a fourth title to his name and extend his lead at the top of the money list.

In many fans' eyes, The Masters is the most prestigious and fiercely desired title of not only the four men's Major championships but also every other professional golf tournament on the planet as well.

It holds an array of fascinating traditions, it's image is akin to a golfing nirvana and it's also sometimes the one time of year where even your friends and family - who show no interest in the sport usually - ask you "who's winning the golf?"

It also has an interesting and, dare I say, refreshing relationship with money. Augusta National preaches affordability when it comes to tickets for patrons and the on-site refreshments, yet The Masters' overall prize money payout each year remains one of the highest in the men's game.

That dynamic has been true for decades now, but the ever-increasing inflation of prize purses in golf means that those who have performed well over the past 10-20 years have benefited most.

Jack Nicklaus has won the most Masters titles ever with six, yet his half a dozen victories secured him just $269,000. Even with the rest of his 37 made cuts included, the Golden Bear didn't even come close to collecting seven figures from the Augusta National championship.

On the flip side, six of the current top-20 highest earners of all time at The Masters have never pulled on a Green Jacket. Justin Rose is fifth on the overall list with just under $6.7 million from 20 appearances, yet the Englishman has twice been denied in a playoff and to date is still waiting for a richly deserved Masters victory.

The other non-winners populating the top-20 include Lee Westwood (13th - $3.7m), Cameron Smith (16th - $3.4m), Xander Schauffele (17th - $3.4m), Brooks Koepka (18th - $3.3m) and Jason Day (20th - $3.1m).

Conversely, everyone but Rose in the top-12 highest earners at The Masters has at least one Green Jacket to their name, including three-time winner and the man with the most money picked up at Augusta National, Phil Mickelson.

Lefty won in 2004, 2006 and 2010 and has accumulated a remarkable $9.87 million across 32 starts and 28 made cuts.

Mickelson began his Masters journey in 1991 and remains on the tee sheet to this day. His highest score remains 79 while his lowest 18-hole total is currently 65. Mickelson's scoring average at Augusta National is 71.44 from 120 rounds.

Remarkably, five-time champion Tiger Woods sits second on The Masters' all-time highest earners list with $9.64 million from 26 starts and an incredible 25 completed tournaments.

And to prove the earlier point about prize money having increased exponentially since even the mid 2000s, 2025 champion Rory McIlroy is third on The Masters' rich list courtesy of that famous win and seven further top-10 finishes since 2014.

McIlroy's tally of over $8.5 million has ensured he is hanging on to the bronze medal ahead of Scottie Scheffler, who has racked up an extraordinary $8 million from only six starts - two of which were of course victories.

Completing the top-10 ahead of the 2026 Masters tournament is Jordan Spieth (6th - $6.36m), Patrick Reed (7th - $5.46m), Jon Rahm (8th - $5.45m), Dustin Johnson (9th - $4.66m) and Bubba Watson (10th - $4.47m).

Below is the complete breakdown of The Masters' all-time money list, with players ranked from 1-20 as well as the total number of starts they have made.

THE MASTERS ALL-TIME MONEY LIST

Rory McIlroy will serve around 30 past champions their dinner on Tuesday evening in the Augusta National clubhouse after winning the 2026 Masters.

With his rollercoaster victory last year, the Northern Irishman earned entry into 'The Masters Club' as a Green Jacket winner where the past champions assemble for an evening dedicated to the most recent victor.

McIlroy will serve an array of mouth-watering dishes, including mains of either Wagyu Filet Mignon or Seared Salmon, topped off with a sticky toffee pudding.

From Jack Nicklaus to Gary Player, Sir Nick Faldo and Fred Couples, the Champions Dinner is full of Masters legends, but two notable previous winners won't be there this year.

Among the past champions not playing in the 2026 Masters are Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, who are both absent from Augusta National for the first time since 1994.

According to the Golf Channel, McIlroy will be paying tribute to them during his special evening.

“Unfortunately, there will be a couple of guys that won't be in that room, which is a shame, but I want to make sure that they're acknowledged as well," he said of Woods and Mickelson.

"They've been two of the greatest champions that the Masters has ever seen.”

Woods has won The Masters five times, while Mickelson is a three-time champion.

Woods is reportedly in Europe undergoing treatment following a car accident in late March that saw him charged for DUI. Mickelson is staying home to deal with a family health matter.

Hopefully we see both men back next year.

Phil Mickelson is finally set to make his first LIV Golf start of the season at the upcoming debut event in South Africa.

The HyFlyers captain hasn't been seen in competitive action since the final LIV Golf event of last season in Michigan last August.

The 55-year-old has been missing from the field for the opening four events of the season, but is back for the fifth in South Africa.

Mickelson said he was missing the season opener in Riyadh due to a "family health matter" and he's not been seen in action since.

“I will not be able to participate in the first two LIV Events as Amy and I need to be present for a family health matter,” Mickelson posted on social media before Riyadh.

“I can’t wait to compete again and look forward to rejoining my teammates as soon as possible.”

The announcement of Mickelson returning to tournament golf came on his HyFlyers team social media.

Mickelson himself has not made any public comment on his return to LIV Golf action as yet.

Wade Ormsby and Ollie Schneiderjans have been filling in for Mickelson during events in Riyadh, Adelaide, Hong Kong and Singapore.

But the six-time Major champion is now back in the fold for LIV's first ever trip to South Africa in Steyn City.

Mickelson's return is hopefully a sign of his family health matter improving since he was forced to skip the opening events of the season.

And it also bodes well for the three-time Masters champion to be able to tee it up at Augusta National again next month - and get some golf under his belt beforehand.

Mickelson is due to make his 34th trip down Magnolia Lane in a few weeks but the longer he went without playing tournament golf the more likely it became that he'd miss out.

And a Masters without Mickelson is a rare occurrence, as he's only missed two since making his first pro start at Augusta in 1993.

He failed to make it in 1994 and then played in 27 straight runnings before skipping 2022 in the fallout from joining LIV Golf.

He returned to finish second in 2023 though but missed the cut last year.

In the immediate aftermath of Anthony Kim's memorable LIV Golf Adelaide victory on Sunday, his fans and fellow pros are recalibrating their expectations of him.

While many simply hoped he was happy and healthy again after sharing his struggles during a 12-year absence from the game, Kim was among the smaller portion who believed he could return to the winner's circle as well.

And that unwavering self-confidence turned out to be well-founded as Kim overturned a five-stroke deficit to Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau to win by three in Australia at the weekend.

Social media was awash with well-wishers and even a handful of messages suggesting that one or two of the four Major championships should be considering a special exemption spot for Kim this season.

Among them was six-time Major winner Phil Mickelson who called Kim's comeback win "one of the best stories in sports."

Going on to share what he thought Kim could still achieve, Mickelson suggested the chance of not only competing at the Majors but perhaps even winning one was still a realistic possibility for the 40-year-old.

Posting on X, Mickelson wrote: "One of the best stories in sports! I wish the win got him in the 4 majors. He might still get in by invite but he really earned it.

"Going head to head with Rahm and Bryson and winning was spectacular tv. Winning a major? I wouldn’t put it past him. He deserves the opportunity to find out. Just my opinion.

"Either way he has inspired so many through his hard work and dedication. [Wife] Emily and [daughter] Bella must be so proud."

Mickelson's soft prediction over Kim's Major potential might not be as outlandish as first thought - especially when the former University of Oklahoma's record at the four biggest championships is considered.

After turning pro in 2006, Kim's five-year run at Majors - between 2007 and 2011 - showed plenty of encouraging results, especially at The Open Championship.

In three starts on British shores (2008, 2009, 2011), Kim finished T7th, MC, T5th - highlighting his links-golf prowess. He also famously recorded a third-place finish at The Masters in 2010, one year after recording the highest number of birdies in a single round at Augusta National with 11.

Kim managed a best of T16th in four appearances at the US Open but never missed a cut. However, his PGA Championship record is easily the worst of the four courtesy of two missed cuts and finishes of between T50th and T55th in three other starts.

Ironically for Kim, a return to the Majors may arrive through the PGA Championship if he can move up through the OWGR and into the top-100 by the time Aronimink hosts in May.

The Californian moved up over 600 places in the OWGR after his win on Sunday and sits just outside the top-200, and he still has five more LIV events to make a further move.

A shot at The Masters seems much tougher, though, with only two events before players drive down Magnolia Lane to kick off the men's Major season.

The only other realistic method of Kim appearing at Augusta is if he is presented with a special invite over the next two months, just as Joaquin Niemann was ahead of the 2025 Masters.

Otherwise, Kim is well within his rights to enter qualifying for the US Open and Open Championship should he not be inside the top-60 or so by the time those events take place.

Phil Mickelson has ruled himself out of the first two LIV Golf events this season.

The legendary left-hander was due to start the 2026 LIV Golf campaign with his HyFlyers team in Riyadh on February 4 but revealed to fans via social media that he will not be in attendance.

It will mark the second year in a row that Mickelson has not played Adelaide, with injury ruling the 57-time pro winner out last time.

Mickelson shared in a post on his social channels that he and his wife need to remain at home in the USA due to a "family health matter."

The 55-year-old went on to say that he is looking forward to returning later in the season, but no earlier than LIV Golf Hong Kong in March. It was in Hong Kong where Mickelson scored his best-ever LIV result last year, finishing third.

LIV's opening pair of tournaments are in Riyadh (February 4-7) and then Adelaide the following week, with the two events' proximity a factor in missing multiple starts.

Mickelson's statement read: "I will not be able to participate in the first two LIV events as Amy (Mickelson's wife) and I need to be present for a family health matter. I can’t wait to compete again and look forward to rejoining my teammates as soon as possible.”

In the meantime, Mickelson said that LIV reserve Ollie Schniederjans will step in to take his place in Saudi Arabia and he will "root on HyFlyers GC from afar."

HyFlyers GC's opening roster will be made up of new signing Michael La Sasso and the retained pair of Brendan Steele and Cameron Tringale, plus stand-in Schniederjans. It has not been confirmed whether Schniederjans will remain with the team for LIV Golf Adelaide.

Schniederjans has only played four LIV Golf events previously but is yet to score a point in the team golf league, with a best result of T30th when he replaced the six-time Major winner in Riyadh 12 months ago.

Mickelson could return as early as LIV Golf Hong Kong on March 5 to belatedly begin his fifth campaign with the PIF-backed circuit and bring some much-needed star power to the league after the departures of Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed.

Koepka left directly for the PGA Tour around the turn of the year while Reed announced earlier this week that he would compete on the DP World Tour before going on to play Stateside once more later this year.

For years the conveyor belt only moved in one direction with the cream of college golf trying to fulfil their dreams on the PGA Tour - but can LIV Golf now offer a better alternative start in the men's pro game?

When NCAA Division 1 men's champion Michael La Sasso signed for Phil Mickelson's HyFlyers LIV Golf team it was a bit of a surprise, but it continues a growing trend on the team tour.

As a number of talented college stars have made the move straight to LIV Golf instead of trying to make their way onto the PGA Tour - including the likes of Eugenio Chacarra, James Piot, Caleb Surratt, David Puig and more recently Josele Ballester.

They've all had different levels of success, but what their decisions and the latest by La Sasso show is that LIV Golf is a truly viable and attractive alternative for talented college golfers turning pro.

There's still plenty of players - the likes of Ludvig Aberg, Luke Clanton and Michael Thorbjornsen - going from college to thrive on the PGA Tour, but there's now a genuine alternative route.

Graeme McDowell took a bit of heat for his post on X saying LIV Golf offers "a legitimate pathway for young potentional superstars" but he makes some very valid points.

The Northern Irishman's further comment read: "The road to the PGA Tour is increasingly perilous and littered with great talent that never made it."

That was the one many golf fans took exception to, as many believe joining LIV is a shortcut to wealth for those not wanting to put in the hard work to succeed on the PGA Tour.

La Sasso for instance has given up a place in The Masters to join LIV Golf, chosen the security of guaranteed money over having to battle and grind to play on the PGA Tour, picking cash over legacy some would argue.

As every young golfer dreams of making those big PGA Tour events, playing Majors, driving down Magnolia Lane - things may change in the future but no young golfer has grown up dreaming of playing for the HyFlyers or any other LIV Golf team have they?

Why LIV is a good move for college stars

But that's not to say that LIV Golf isn't an attractive propostion for eactly the reasons McDowell states and a couple of others.

Yes, the PGA Tour is the promised land for many but it's becoming increasingly difficult to make it even for the best coming out of college - La Sasso for instance had Korn Ferry Tour status but there are only 20 cards now available for the big league instead of 30.

And then obviously it's only the top 100 who survive on the PGA Tour and while that's better for the viewer and golf fans who like to see a bit of jeopardy in the sport - it's not ideal for career planning.

So why not take a chunky signing-on deal from LIV Golf, get guaranteed starts and play all around the globe for the chance to earn some bumper pay days from what are less demanding tournaments than full field PGA Tour scraps.

As for the Majors and ranking points - OWGR recognition might be just around the corner and there are increasing pathways into the Majors direct from LIV and also the Asian Tour's International Series.

So you have a guaranteed cash bonus, increased prize money in smaller events and Major opportunities, but the final point is also worth noting - and that's the team factor with experienced golfing superstars.

It can be a lonely place out on the PGA Tour in a cutthroat dog-eat-dog world. You can argue whether the LIV Golf team aspect works for the fans, but it can definitely be a benefit to the players.

We don't know how much time they spend together in reality or how much advice is given, but for a young college golfer just being around Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia or Phil Mickelson, soaking up that knowledge and experience can only help, surely?

Also playing across the world in nine diferent countires and experiencing all those different cultures if nothing else is great life experience that you wouldn't get on the PGA Tour.

There's still life after LIV

Although some have thrived - Puig and Ballester have claimed tournament wins - not every move has gone smoothly, and with relegation expanding it's not quite the easy ride it was initially, just ask Eugenio Chacarra or James Piot.

But there's also pathways back to the regular PGA and DP World Tours as well - as although Piot has struggled since being relegated he did play in the Rocket Mortgage Classic last year.

Chacarra was one of the first big names to leave college early to join LIV Golf but had shall we say a slightly acrimonious departure.

He felt promises about ranking points and Majors weren't met, but then again he won a LIV tournament in Bangkok to pocket $4m in just his fourth start had the benefit of playing alongside Sergio Garcia for three years.

Even when departing (with over $16m in the bank) he then won the Hero Indian Open in March to earn full DP World Tour staus - and who's to say having three years under Garcia's wing didn't help with that?

So even those keen to make it on the PGA Tour could feasibly play on LIV for a few years to gain vital experience - in now regular 72-hole events - alongside an experienced veteran, collect a big lump sum of cash, still have Major opportunities and can always return to a regular tour, even after a ban in the PGA Tour's case.

You can see why that would be an attractive option.

Phil Mickelson continues to defy the odds and, at The 153rd Open Championship, the 55-year-old fired a blemish free four-under 67.

The bogey-free round from Mickelson made him the oldest to achieve the feat at The Open since Tom Watson in 2009, with the six-time Major winner also registering the joint most bogey-free rounds at The Open in 30 years.

However, it was Mickelson's words before his final round at Royal Portrush on Sunday that caught the eye, with the American reacting to a comment from fellow countryman, Kevin Kisner.

Back in March, golf analyst, Justin Ray, posted a tweet showcasing the differences between World No.1, Scottie Scheffler, and LIV Golf League player Joaquin Niemann, specifically how Scheffler has performed better in Major championships.

At the time, Mickelson reacted to the tweet, writing: "All true. Let’s keep these tweets and see what happens throughout this year."

Five months on, Scheffler has won the PGA Championship, finished T7 at the US Open and leads The Open Championship going into the final round. Niemann, meanwhile, finished T8 at the PGA Championship, but missed the cut at the US Open and Open Championship.

Because of the run of results, Kisner couldn't help but take a dig at his former Presidents Cup partner, as the four-time PGA Tour winner, five months on, asked Mickelson for an update on the post.

Mickelson, who hasn't been afraid to state his opinion previously, then reacted to the NBC Broadcaster, tweeting: "Kiz, my man. I’ve never been afraid to make mistakes on the course or off, knowing I’ll have to deal with scrutiny from the public, media, or social media.

"I’ve already acknowledged I was wrong on this. This is a good example of why so many people are afraid to put themselves out there and compete or take risks because they know it’ll be thrown back in their face and they can’t handle it.

"Fortunately that’s not ever been my problem. But others struggle dealing with the heat and scrutiny that professional sports and being in the public eye brings and drives many away from the game which is too bad but is reality for so many."

Following his response, Kisner did tweet Mickelson back, congratulating him on his four-under 67 on Sunday, with the 41-year-old writing: "Nice round today pro!" Which caused Mickelson to write back "thank you partner. I believe you and I are still undefeated."

At the start of the week at The Open Championship, Scheffler was praised for his lengthy and detailed answer explaining what the game of golf means to him, admitting that he doesn't find the sport satisfying.

Professional golf can be stressful at times and, a player who has shown visible emotion in 2025 is Wyndham Clark, who broke an advertising board at the PGA Championship, as well as a locker room door at the US Open.

In fact, Oakmont Country Club banned Clark from the course following the incident and, after a five-under 66 at The Open on Saturday, Clark opted to not speak to the media, despite jumping up the leaderboard.

He isn't the only player to come under scrutiny after declining media this season. Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa are just some of those who have skipped interviews, with Morikawa even stating at one point "I don't owe you guys anything."

Previously the two-time Major winner skipped media after missing out on victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and, a week later at The Players Championship, he explained why.

The move and statement came under scrutiny from some, including former PGA Tour player, Rocco Mediate, who called it "pathetic" on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio.

Phil Mickelson has told the story of why he named his putter the 'Tiger Slayer' after claiming that he "owned" Tiger Woods over the second half of their careers.

Speaking on his latest YouTube video with Grant Horvat, Mickelson is full of praise for Woods, who he labels "the greatest of all time" but is keen to point out he more than held his own against him.

Six-time Major champion Mickelson says a red-hot putter at the 2012 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am saw him totally outplay Woods when paired in the final round, as part of what he feels was a successful run.

Mickelson told Horvat that after being dominated by 15-time Major champion Woods for the first half of his career, he hit back to level the head-to-head score over the second half.

"You know where it got the name?" Mickelson said to Horvat when asked about his putter in the YouTube video which had 'Tiger Slayer' on the headcover.

"2012 AT&T I used that putter and I made everything and shot 64 and he shot 75. And that's where it initially slayed the Tiger...and after that it kept doing it."

Mickelson continued to detail how he got his own back on Woods when they were paired together later on in their careers.

"He owned me the first half of our careers. His record against me head-to-head was dominant, it is now even when we play together," said Mickelson.

Mickelson could only admire some of Woods' play, especially during his famous Tiger Slam, but is proud of improving his head-to-head record after linking up with coach Butch Harmon.

"Obviously his record is his record, he's the greatest of all time," Mickelson said of Woods. "I've seen him do things with a golf ball that I've never seen anybody be able to do. And his play in 2000 was indescribable, how good it was.

"He owned me the first part of our careers but the second part I owned him. So after 07 I started working with Butch and I started doing really well head-to-head.

"Our head-to-head record when we're paired together I believe is dead even."

Winning the Grand Slam is the single hardest achievement of a professional golfer. Only six men have ever achieved it, the most recent this year, when Rory McIlroy finally won The Masters.

This is a coveted list Phil Mickelson has been trying to join his whole career. There is just one Major that eludes him... the US Open.

On six occasions has he come second or tied second in the championship. Many fans remain surprised that one of the game's greats has never been able to cross the finish line in front just yet.

The 55-year-old is a six-time Major winner and is eighth on the all time PGA Tour winning list, with 45 trophies to his name.

Due to the American never winning the US Open, he doesn't have the eligibility to play in the championship as he does with the other Majors.

This meant that this year at Oakmont Country Club, it was potentially his last time competing in the championship due to his five-year exemption for winning the 2021 PGA Championship running out earlier this month.

However, he has not ruled out it being his last appearance at the lucrative competition.

Prior to LIV Dallas this week, he said: "So I said it's very possibly my last, and I think that's real. However, I also feel like I'm starting to play some good golf, and this year has been my best year on LIV.

"I've had three top-six finishes and some opportunities to win. If I play like that in some upcoming Major championships, that could ultimately qualify me into another US Open. I don't want to say it's my last."

To contend at a Major would be incredible for Mickelson, and I'm sure would it come to the joy of many golf fans around the world. Seeing him and Tiger Woods win one of the four tournament's in their latter years would be a true testament to their greatness.

However, he has struggled in them as of late. Since his 2021 PGA Championship success, Mickelson has competed in 15 Majors, missing the cut 10 times. His best result was T2nd in the 2023 Masters, but, his next best finish was T43rd at the same tournament the year after.

Form doesn't faze Mickelson though as he said: "I actually think I'm playing well enough that if I can play at the level I've played at out here in Majors again, I'll finish high enough to get into a US Open via that qualifying avenue.

"So I don't want to say that it is my last because I think I'm going to contend in the... I'm in the other three Majors for a lot of years, and it could very well get me into the US Open again."

Phil Mickelson's Major Finishes Since 2021 PGA Championship

• 2025 US Open - MC
• 2025 USPGA Championship - MC
• 2025 Masters - MC
• 2024 152nd Open - T60
• 2024 US Open - MC
• 2024 USPGA Championship - MC
• 2024 Masters - T43
• 2023 151st Open - MC
• 2023 US Open - MC
• 2023 USPGA Championship - T58
• 2023 Masters - T2
• 2022 150th Open - MC
• 2022 US Open - MC
• 2021 149th Open - MC
• 2021 US Open - T62

When he tees it up at Oakmont Phil Mickelson admits that it's highly likely to be his final US Open appearance.

Mickelson will play in his 34th US Open at Oakmont in what is the last of his five-year exemption for winning the 2021 PGA Championship.

And he has no real clear route back into next year's US Open, with just two spots available through LIV Golf next year for either toppping the overall individual standings this year or sitting in the top three in May 2026.

So the six-time Major champion, who has finished runner-up six times in the US Open, admits this could be his farewell to the event.

"I haven’t thought about it too much," Mickelson responded when asked if this could be his final US Open appearance."

He then admitted: "There’s a high likelihood that it will be, but I haven’t really thought about it too much."

Once his PGA Championship exemption expires, Mickelson's options for playing in the 2026 US Open are limited, beyond those two LIV Golf spots.

A top 10 finish at Oakmont would qualify Mickelson for the US Open next year, as would winning the Open, Masters or PGA Championship again - which as a previous winner he can still play in.

One route could be with a special exemption from the USGA, and that could well be a possibility as he actually received one in 2021 but in the end didn't need it thanks to his surprise PGA Championship victory.

Of course, there's always qualifying, but on that subject Mickelson said: "I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far."

Mickelson's pursuit of his national open has been major theme of his entire career, with some heartbreaking near misses in those six second-place finishes.

And the 54-year-old is keen to produce a big performance at Oakmont, if it is to be his final US Open - and he says this week's LIV Golf event at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club is the perfect preparation.

"We have greens that are rolling 14 to 15 on the stimpmeter just like we will next week," Mickelson said.

"We have contours, undulations just like we will next week. I think it’s a great way to prepare for next week.

"Short game, touch, chipping around the greens, rough, speed, lag drills and speed and touch on the greens, all of that’s critical here same thing as next week. It couldn’t be a better spot to get ready."

Some of the biggest names in golfing history have made Sportico's latest list which details the top 50 richest athletes of all time.

And mainly due to off-course earning in design and other business, there are eight golfers who have made the list, with four of them retired legends of the game and another in Tiger Woods nearing the end of his career.

Basketball great Michael Jordan tops the list with non-adjusted earnings of $3bn, and although a distant second, Woods is still the next best with his $1.91bn fortune according to Sportico.

Thanks to their brands and prolific course design businesses, Jack Nicklaus and the late, great Arnold Palmer come in at sixth and seventh on the list due to their earnings being adjusted for inflation to compare with modern-day sports stars.

Phil Mickelson in 11th has earned more actual money that Nicklaus and Palmer as one of nine stars on the list to have broken the $1bn barrier, with his earnings to the end of 2024 getting a huge boost from his LIV Golf signing bonus.

Prolific businessman Greg Norman makes the list in 15th while Rory McIlroy is the only fully active current PGA Tour player to make the list with his $640m putting him in 24th.

McIlroy, of course, will get another boost to his earning with his early-season victories in 2025 including at The Masters, which saw him break through the $100 million mark in tournament earnings.

Ernie Els also makes the list in 35th with fellow South African Gary Player joining him just a couple of places lower in 37th.

Golf has the second-most players in the top 50 with eight, behind only basketball which provides 13 of the top 50 earners of all time.

Sportico says the totals quoted for the rankings are estimates based on "conversations with industry insiders, Sportico research and historical estimates in media outlets, such as Forbes and Sports Illustrated".

History is largely against Rory McIlroy winning The Masters for the first time at his 17th attempt, but two former champions have revealed their secret for bucking the trend.

Only one Masters champion has even won their first Green Jacket having previously played in 15 tournaments or more at Augusta National - as Sergio Gracia triumphed in his 19th Masters.

Phil Mickelson won the first of his three Green Jackets at the 12th attempt, which in itself goes against the grain somewhat as 49 of the 56 Masters champions won their maiden title in 11 attempts or less.

There are obviously positives, as McIlroy has seven top 10 finishes at Augusta National, which is the same number Mickelson tallied before going on to claim victory.

And both Mickelson and Garcia picked out what could be the key for McIlroy to get himself over the line - which would also end his decade-long wait for a fifth Major and complete the career Grand Slam.

"I think at the end of the day, it's to go there and enjoy the week as much as possible," Garcia cited as a key for McIlroy finally being able to win The Masters.

"I think that sometimes we're competitors and we want to go there and do really well, but sometimes you cannot get too much in your head, and obviously I had my issues with Augusta when it comes down to that where I'd just get frustrated and maybe feel like I don't get what I deserve or something like that."

Mickelson agreed that controlling emotions was a huge factor when trying to win The Masters, something he noticed when Garcia claimed his Green Jacket after a playoff with Justin Rose.

"From a guy outside looking in, and I'm not Sergio, but it looked like the year he won you managed your emotions when you had a bad break or two much better and didn't let it get to you," said Mickelson when sharing a press conference stage with Garcia at LIV Golf Miami.

"Augusta is a great course for you, and it seemed like when you had a few bad breaks or whatever reason you were just in this calm state of mind where it didn't affect you, and I thought that was an interesting thing as players to take away, to learn from."

Mickelson added that it took him over a decade of playing Augusta National to learn what it took to go on and win.

"For me personally, it was something very similar," he added. "It was the 15th hole is a hole that I would press. I would force the issue. I lost the tournament a number of times on 15 before I ended up winning it, and when I finally did win it in '04, I felt like, all right, a 5 is okay there.

"Like I could lose the tournament on 15; I don't need to make 4 every time. So I would always press the issue, and I'd make 6, 7 a number of times trying to make a 4, and when I finally accepted a 5 on that hole and tried to win it elsewhere, that's when I seemed to finally break through."

McIlroy can handle the pressure

McIlroy will again head down Magnolia Lane with a huge amount of eyeballs, and pressure, on him - something Mickelson has had himself for most of his career, but he believes the Northern Irishman can handle it.

"That's challenging. But he's done it so many times in his ability to win tournaments," said Mickelson. "He's been able to compartmentalize that. I don't think that's going to be an issue for him.

"I think he drives the ball so long and straight that he has a huge advantage on that golf course. He and about 20 guys that drive it like he does will have an advantage of playing it a certain way. But you still have to execute, you still have to hit the shots, and I think that's what he's focused on.

"I think his ability to compartmentalize all the things that have transpired in the past is a strength of his, so I don't think it'll be an issue or I don't think that's what's holding him back from winning the Masters."

Ryder Cup veteran, Sergio Garcia did his chances of making Luke Donald's European side later this year no harm at all after securing a double victory at LIV Golf Hong Kong on Sunday.

Garcia's 18-under total helped him see off Stinger's Dean Burmester by one stroke, with the South African having shot a spectacular eight-under 62 in the final round.

The 10-time Ryder Cup player carded five birdies and an eagle in his bogey-free closing round of 63 (-7), giving Garcia his second individual LIV title in his past seven starts - following on from LIV Golf Andalucia last term.

The Spaniard's solo success also played a significant part in Fireballs GC's one-stroke team triumph over Stinger GC. Garcia, Abraham Ancer (-9, T12th), David Puig (-8, T18th) and Luis Masaveu (-2, T42nd) all played their part in reaching a 37-under total after LIV's pre-season rule change regarding counted scores.

While a strong start to the new LIV Golf campaign is among the 45-year-old's highest priorities, Garcia is hoping to find form in 2025 for another important reason.

After playing in all but one Ryder Cup between 2002 and 2021 before being left out again in 2023, the competition's record point-scorer is hungry to make a triumphant return at Bethpage in September.

Garcia shared that he has been in contact with Team Europe captain, Luke Donald but acknowledges that all he can do to give himself the best chance of being a part of the dozen is to keep performing at a high level.

During his on-course interview, immediately after holing the winning putt, Garcia said: "I think [Luke Donald] is watching. We've been in touch, so I know that he's keeping an eye.

"The only thing I can do is keep playing good golf, and I just want to help the European team like I've tried to do every single time I've been a member of that team, and hopefully he will think I'm good enough for it."

The 2017 Masters champion switched back to an old blade putter since LIV Golf Adelaide in a bid to maintain his recent upturn in putting fortunes, and it appeared to help considerably as Garcia only recorded two bogeys all week - both of which were in the opening round.

Referring to the manner in which he wrapped up his second LIV Golf title, Garcia said: "It's great. Obviously I knew that I had to play well. My goal starting the day was to shoot five-under, which was going to help me and the team.

"I didn't hit the best tee shot on 18, but I knew that we were tied or one ahead, so I wasn't going to lay up, and I hit a beautiful 4-iron here and then obviously hit a great putt."

The victorious Fireballs captain continued: "Super proud of the team. I think Luis made a birdie on the last to give us the team [title]. Super proud of him after yesterday and how much he fought and everything, so it's been great."

Aside from Garcia, the story of the week was arguably Phil Mickelson's resurgence. Lefty turned in a third-place finish on 14-under, his highest since joining LIV, thanks to seven birdies on each day and seven bogeys throughout the week.

Explaining what might have led to the turnaround in form, the 10-time Major winner shared he is now playing "a different style of golf" than he had previously - one that he believes can lead to a long-term purple patch.

Mickelson said: "So I really had a great off-season, and I figured some things out, and I'm playing a different style of golf. I've been playing really well at home, and it's great to take it here.

"I didn't putt well at Adelaide, otherwise I would have contended there, as well. I played really good golf, and I had about four or five putts - today even - that could have gone lower and been an ultra round low to make a run.

"But the fact is I'm hitting a lot of good shots. I'm playing some good golf, and this is a building week as I continue to build into LIV and my goal of accomplishing a win in LIV as well as winning another major, getting ready for Augusta."

The oldest Major champion revealed he believes he can extend his own record in April while adding a fourth Masters title - following the example set by Tiger Woods, who won his fifth Green Jacket well into his 40s in 2019.

The 54-year-old was bullish about the state of his game and stated his all-time short game is back to its best at just the right time.

Responding to a question about LIV Golf Hong Kong being his best performance since a T2nd at the 2023 Masters, Mickelson replied: "It is, but it didn't feel hard. It felt easy. I probably led the field in fairways hit. I haven't seen the stats, but I'd be surprised if anybody hit more than I did.

"My game is getting sharp. My short game is back. I had a rough couple of years. My short game is really sharp now. My iron play is back, and my game is starting to really come around, and I'm also playing differently. I'm playing a lot less stressed, and it's coming."

The LIV Golf League continues next week in Singapore at Sentosa Golf Club between March 14-16.

What's in the bag for Phil Mickelson in 2025? Well, the quick answer is a lot, as the six-time Major champion revealed a bumper bunch of clubs he has lined up for the year.

One of Mickelson's aims off the course this year is to rival Bryson DeChambeau as the king of golfing YouTube, and as well as a series with online star Grant Horvat he's now started producing his own video specials.

And a look through Mickelson's bag is definitely an interesting watch, from the tweaks he does to his irons and wedges, the different options he has for different conditions and the sheer numbers of clubs.

He has four putters, two drivers, two 5-irons and even two different models of golf ball all ready to be deployed by one of golf's great thinkers, especially when it comes to equipment.

But what are the main takeaways from a look in the bag, and into the mind, of Phil Mickelson?

He's got special 'Japan Only' irons

Mickelson is no longer a Callaway staff player, but the majority of his clubs are still from the brand - including his iron set which he had specially made.

"The irons I've been using for the last 10 years pretty much are the 2013 X Forged irons that I won the British Open with in 2013.

"I saw a set that I thought looked amazing and guess what? They are! And Callaway were so nice to take the set, they're X Forged Japan only, they took the dynamics for their righty set, put it in a computer and had a machine cut them out - they were pretty expensive to do."

He loves the grind

Mickleson is not one to just put stock clubs into his bag, as all of his wedges and irons have been customized by grinding into the heel and the toe to perfectly suit his preferences.

We've seen it a lot in wedges with grinding of the sole and leading edge to suit a player's preference, but Mickelson has done this with his irons too with sizeable chunks taken off the heel and toe of all his irons.

He says it's to get the "turf interaction" that he likes, with having more versatility out of fairway bunkers and different lies also being a main benefit.

A Rogue 5-iron - literally

It's interesting that Mickelson has an alternate 5-iron in his bag - and one that seems is mainly there for use at The Masters - with a Callaway Rogue in his set-up..

"This is a faster face, a faster material, the ball comes off faster and comes off higher. So I had to add a little bit of loft to hit my 215 number," explains Mickelson.

"I had to strenghten this 5-iron (X Forged) to hit my 215 number and so that's going to be a little lower and this (Rogue) is going to be a little higher.

"So when I have to play courses like Augusta and I've got to hit a lot of 5-irons to those greens, I want the ball coming in soft, so I'll hit that Rogue."

An old school hybrid

Mickelson is trying out all manner of fairway woods using the latest technology, but he's got a Ping Anser hybrid in the bag that's lacking any of the new tech - which is ideal.

"This is the Ping Anser hybrid that I used in 2013 to win the British Open and it's stayed with me," Mickelson added.

"It doesn't have any fast technology which is why I like it as it comes out more like an iron. The loft is irrelevant because all I'm trying to do is hit a particular number and this hits just over 230."

He's got two drivers

We've often seen Mickelson take different approaches off the tee, from mini-drivers to just using a strong 3-wood, to just standing up there and "hitting bombs" as he put it.

Now though he's got two big dogs in the bag and he can't decide between them!

"I've got two going into this year - I've been using this new Ping G440 and the Callaway Elyte and I hit them both pretty straight.

"I'm really in between both drivers as I like them both."

Four putters - one for every occasion

"So I've got four putters and I'm going to use all of them actually," says Mickelson.

He has two Odyssey blade putters which we're used to seeing him play with in competition, with one having a special rough milled face for use in wet weather.

But Mickelson has also got two LAB Mezz Max putters, one which he's been using during his YouTube series with Horvat and a heavier one for use on slower greens.

He'll have some big decisions to make to get his huge array of clubs down to just 14, but in true understated Mickelson fashion he's not too bothered as "all of them are awesome".

Phil Mickelson is the most decorated golfer on the LIV Golf League circuit and, at LIV Golf Adelaide, Lefty is set to make his first appearance of 2025.

Prior to the first tournament of the year in Riyadh last week, Mickelson announced that he would miss the season opener due to picking up a shoulder injury in the gym. However, after a week off, the 54-year-old is set to tee it up in South Australia.

Posting online last week, Mickelson's statement read: "While preparing for the season, I suffered a minor shoulder injury in the gym last week. I'm definitely disappointed that I will miss the season opener, but I look forward to playing in Adelaide."

Being replaced by recent International Series India winner Ollie Schniederjans, who claimed a T30 finish, HyFlyers GC could only finish 12th out of 13th teams, as the American quartet finished 18-under, comfortably back of winners Legion XIII GC.

Returning this week, HyFlyers GC posted a video of captain Mickelson to their story, with the six-time Major winner seen hitting one of his trademark ‘bombs’ at The Grange Golf Club.

The course was a happy hunting ground for Mickelson's side in 2024. Last year at LIV Golf Adelaide, Brendan Steele won the individual title in front of thousands of fans, with the result spurring the side to their best result in the team standings, a third place finish.

Steele returns this week to defend his trophy, as the Australian quartet of Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones and Lucas Herbert will hope to defend their title for Ripper GC, after an epic playoff at last year's tournament.

Having missed his first ever LIV Golf League event last week, Mickelson will be hoping to come out of the gates strongly in Australia, with his best individual result a tie for sixth at LIV Golf Jeddah in 2024. In terms of the individual standings, he finished 39th in 2023 and 46th in 2024.

The fourth season of LIV Golf gets underway on the 6th February in Riyadh, but one of its biggest names has revealed he won't be present in Saudi Arabia due to injury.

Phil Mickelson, who captains HyFlyers GC, announced via his social media that he will miss the season opener due to a shoulder injury picked up in the gym.

Posting online, Mickelson's statement read: "While preparing for the season, I suffered a minor shoulder injury in the gym last week. I'm definitely disappointed that I will miss the season opener, but I look forward to playing in Adelaide."

In the statement, Mickelson also revealed that recent International Series India winner Ollie Schniederjans will take his place, as he joins Andy Ogletree, Brendan Steele and Cameron Tringale, with Mickelson set to stay at home instead of making the journey to Riyadh.

Getting underway on the 6th - 8th February, LIV Golf Riyadh will be played under the lights at Riyadh Golf Club, as post-sunset tee times will be used in order to better suit a US audience following the circuit's new TV deal with Fox Sports.

Just recently, the League announced a 'multi-year' deal with Fox Sports and, in Riyadh, the opening round is set to begin at 6:15pm local time (10:15am ET/3:15pm GMT) on Thursday. From there, round two is scheduled to begin at the same time while the third and final round will start 10 minutes earlier at 6:05pm local time (10:05am ET).

In terms of Mickelson's results on the LIV Golf League, the six-time Major winner has currently played every single tournament, with his best result a tie for sixth at LIV Golf Jeddah in 2024.

For 2023, he finished 39th in the individual standings and then 46th in 2024, with his HyFlyers GC side's best result being a third place finish at LIV Golf Adelaide.

Phil Mickelson has talked about LIV Golf's position in the sport's landscape - describing it as a global additive to the more USA-focused PGA Tour and a better verhicle for attracting younger fans.

Mickelson and Greg Norman played the parts of the great disruptors when LIV Gof launched in a much more combative and hostile argument with the PGA Tour establishment - a move which garnered a huge amount of headlines as well as a lawsuit or two.

The situation is slowly calming down, although there's still no final deal between the Saudi PIF and PGA Tour over a way forward with both sides working together.

It's been a good winter for LIV Golf commercially though, notbaly with a TV deal with FOX Sports which will vastly increase visibility for fans mainly in the biggest market of the United States.

There's also been a slew of apparel deals with LIV teams, including Mickelson's own HyFlyers, and the team tour is now looking to settle into the role of a global change of pace to the regular PGA Tour calendar.

Appearing in a FOX Business exclusive, Mickelson voiced his delight at the TV deal LIV had struck with the broadcasting giant.

"It’s helping us create a lot of value for our sponsors, and sponsors are coming more now with the value that FOX brings," said Mickelson.

"And hopefully, it’ll be added value for FOX and be consistent with that cutting edge, innovative, younger target audience."

And whereas previous comments had been all about how LIV was a superior product in more vitriolic language, Mickelson now says that the team golf tour is "an additive" to the sport's landscape - as the only true global golfing competition.

"We’re trying to become an added value to the golf ecosystem. The old model was not getting the younger players involved, it wasn’t a global model," said Mickelson

"We’re the first global model for golf. We’re able to bring the best players, best teams throughout the world. That hasn’t been the case, so we’re trying to help grow the game on a global basis. We’re all additive. We’re all in this together. We're only 14 weeks a year, there's 38 other weeks of golf."

Mickelson is convinced LIV Golf has a better chance of bringing in younger viewers, and players, than the current PGA Tour product.

"The PGA Tour’s done a great job for many years, but it’s a national centric-based model, where we’re much more global, we’re much younger target audience, much younger in different demographics we’re trying to hit.

"We’re trying to make the fan experience on site much more enjoyable. We’re additive rather than competitive."

One of the ways the likes of Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau in particular are trying to increase their visibility among younger viewers is through YouTube - which the 54-year-old says has given him a boost in energy.

"YouTube is a whole other way of reaching that young target audience," he added. "Look, long live golf, we want golf to live on, it's given my life so much and I want to do evetything I can to bring golf to the masses.

"YouTube, again, is additive, being able to hit a whole new demographic. I'm appreciative to Grant Horvat and Bryson DeChambeau for really showing what the model of golf on YouTube can be for professionals.

"I've only had three videos out but I'm working on it. It's given me a whole different energy and excitement for the game at 54."

Phil Mickelson's HyFlyers GC has announced an apparel partnership with Primo - a brand co-owned by popular content creator and influencer, Grant Horvat.

The social media personality - who also has a stake in Takomo Golf - officially purchased part of Primo in March 2024, almost three years after the clothing brand first contacted him to enquire about a potential link.

A matter of months later, Horvat convinced the six-time Major winner to star alongside him in a YouTube challenge video. In addition to the five strokes given out by Mickelson, there was a side-bet.

If Lefty triumphed, Horvat would buy a year's supply of the pro's coffee brand for a fan. But if the amateur won, Mickelson would turn up to The Open Championship at Royal Troon in a pair of Primo golf joggers - the item which launched the Californian company into the public eye back in 2020. Horvat reigned supreme and Mickelson stayed true to his word.

Now, the 54-year-old's LIV Golf League team has designated Primo as its “official golf apparel sponsor” moving forward - a deal which will see Mickelson, Cameron Tringale, Brendan Steele, and Andy Ogletree wear the brand's range during LIV Golf events and at any Major championship they appear in.

Speaking via a press release announcing the deal, Mickelson said: “I was challenged to wear the Primo joggers at the Open Championship after losing a match against Primo ambassador Grant Horvat. It turned out to be a game-changer.

"As I said, I wasn’t sure I could pull off wearing the cool, fashionable joggers but I have fallen in love with them and the rest of Primo’s outstanding product line. I’m excited the HyFlyers will be rocking them during our season."

Primo was co-founded by Matthew Gay, Jason Williamson, Jordan Williamson, and Kirk Williamson - cousins who grew up together in California.

Labelling the move as "a huge milestone for us," CEO Gay added: “Phil, like Primo, is incredibly passionate about the game of golf, has tremendous achievements in the game, and fits perfectly with our brand. Years of hard work have led us to this point, and we are excited to watch the team compete wearing Primo gear this season.”

Meanwhile, Peter Davis - general manager of HyFlyers GC - said: “We are excited to launch our partnership with Primo Golf Apparel. Primo is constantly innovating and creating high-quality products that golfers love. We look forward to helping them accelerate their growth and continuing to build their brand throughout the season.”

HyFlyers will debut the fresh apparel at the opening LIV Golf event of the 2025 season in Riyadh between February 6-8.

Phil Mickelson is the subject of this golf quiz. He has always been something of an enigma in so many ways.

The legendary lefty is the oldest man to win a Major, and his 45 wins on the PGA Tour have been spread over nearly 31 years, which means that Mickelson has been a winner on Tour for longer than anyone else.

To some, he is the down-to-earth everyman hero, the chap who frequently stops to have a word with fans and to sign autographs; to others, he is less popular after playing in key role in getting LIV Golf off the ground and starting golf's fracture.

He has perhaps had the misfortune that his best years coincided with Tiger Woods’ domination of the sport. Or maybe not. Like many others, he has benefited from the increased prize money Tiger Woods’ involvement in the game brought forth – and Mickelson has won more than most.

But with Mickelson the money has often gone out almost as fast as it came in. He has been open about his gambling addition – which is said to lost him $100 million – but he is renown as a generous tipper, capable of leaving $1,000 tips for those who have served him well, with story of him also having left a $100 tip at a children’s lemonade stand.

So how well do you think you know Phil Mickelson's life and career? We have 18 multiple-choice questions to test you...

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They formed an exciting pairing but despite Keegan Bradley citing Phil Mickelson as one of his biggest mentors he does not expect to have him by his side at the 2025 Ryder Cup.

Mickelson was nailed-on for a Ryder Cup captaincy spot before leaving the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf, and you'd have gotten astronomical odds on Bradley being placed in charge of Team USA before him.

Bradley, the surprise choice to lead the Americans at Bethpage Black in New York next year, was asked if his old friend, partner and mentor would be involved in his backroom team next year.

But Bradley believes the left-hander would not be too interested even if he was asked to join him as a vice-captain.

“Personally, I don’t think he’s really interested in doing it," Bradley said of Mickelson at a Ryder Cup 'One Year To Go' event in New York.

"I owe a lot to Phil and I think he’s done so much for the American side of the Ryder Cup but I’m not so sure he’s looking to come in as a vice-captain.”

European captain Luke Donald admitted that Sergio Garcia might be interested in re-joining the DP World Tour in order to become eligible for next year's Ryder Cup.

And both captains have said that LIV Golf players will be available for selection, but despite all of that Bradley seems to not even be considering Mickelson as an option - despite his lengthy Ryder Cup experience.

Bradley may well turn to the six-time Major champion for some advice though, as his partner at the 2012 and 2014 Ryder Cups has been a huge influence in his career.

“Early in my career, I really took for granted Phil’s leadership that he gave me,” said Bradley.

“I was playing with one of the best players ever to touch a golf club. What Phil did for me was create a relaxed atmosphere, and he told me, ‘Don’t worry about putting it four or five feet by. I’ll make them coming back.’ Little stuff like that helped me.

“He mentored me before the event. Took me to dinner. He talked to me non-stop throughout the year about the pressures and what would come, and I really learned a lot. It hasn’t been until now that I’ve really realized what an incredible thing it was that he did for me.”

With Bradley playing in the recent Presidents Cup having been in great form on the PGA Tour, there's a very real chance that he could qualify for his own team.

If he does, whether he then turns to someone like Mickelson to join his backroom team to help with the burden would be something to watch out for.

Phil Mickelson has been one of the most successful golfers of the modern era, amassing six Major titles among 57 wins in a professional career now into its fourth decade. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that he was also one of the standout talents during his college years.

Mickelson was born in San Diego, California in 1970, but part of his upbringing took place in Scottsdale, Arizona, and it was in the city of Tempe where he took a golf scholarship at Arizona State University – an institution founded in 1885 and which, nowadays, is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the US.

Mickelson attended the university between 1998 and 1992, where he majored in psychology. However, it was his achievements on the course that made his college career so special and where he became the best-known amateur in the US at the time.

Under the guidance of coach Steve Loy, who is still part of Mickelson's team today, the star-to-be honed his skills on Pete Dye’s ASU Karsten Golf Course, and the results were spectacular.

Mickelson enjoyed almost unrivaled success representing university team the Arizona State Sun Devils. Over his four-year stint at the university, he amassed 16 collegiate wins - a record for Arizona State. He was also a three-time NCAA individual champion, achieving the feat in 1989, 1990 and 1992.

Additionally, during each year at the university, Mickelson was the first team All-American, while he also won both the Haskins Award and the Jack Nicklaus Award, each of which honor the year's most outstanding male college golfer, in three successive years between 1990 and 1992.

Famously, he also won a PGA Tour event while still at college, the 1991 Northern Telecom Open - a feat that took 33 years to be matched when Nick Dunlap won The American Express in 2024. He was also low amateur at the 1991 Masters at Augusta National.

Since graduating, Mickelson has had one of the most successful professional careers imaginable but he has maintained links to the university. That includes an announcement in 2017 that he would design a new short-game practice facility for the Sun Devils at Papago Golf Course in Tempe.

That ensured a tangible legacy for one of the university’s most famous alumni, although, thanks to his stunning achievements, his status as one of its legends had been secured decades earlier.

Phil Mickelson has said that no one he knows has more love and passion for the Ryder Cup than new US team captain, Keegan Bradley and is backing his former teammate to thrive as leader in September 2025.

The 38-year-old from Woodstock, Vermont was selected as the Americans' skipper for Bethpage Black on Monday - a role he earned after Tiger Woods declined the position previously.

Bradley has only played in two Ryder Cups so far in his career, but when he did so, he was nearly always paired with the legendary left-hander.

Bradley and Mickelson went 3-0 at Medinah in 2012 - a record which included a 7&6 drubbing of Lee Westwood and his now opposite number, Luke Donald - before winning one and losing one from two matches at Gleneagles two years later.

The first and only pairing ever to taste success against Bradley and Mickelson was Victor Dubuisson and Graeme McDowell in a Saturday afternoon foursomes match.

While Lefty went on to feature at two further Ryder cups (2016/2018), Bradley has not been able to regain his place in the US dozen - controversially missing out on the 2023 squad despite winning twice in the build-up.

Yet, in a curious turn of events, the man who phoned Bradley with the bad news last year - Zach Johnson - was actually the one to inform him he would become the new captain.

Reacting to the news that his former playing partner would be the next man to lead Team USA at the Ryder Cup, Mickelson was glowing with pride and stated it was "a great pick" by the PGA of America.

He said: "I was surprised at the pick, and I think it's a great pick, the more I think about it. He played a lot of golf at Bethpage when he went to St. Johns.

"His passion for the Ryder Cup is greater than just about any player I've ever seen. His love for the Ryder Cup is more than anybody I know. I think he's going to lead with that type of passion.

"I think he's incredible. I'm really, really happy for him. I think we all are really happy for him knowing how gut-wrenching it was to not be part of the team last year, but to now have the opportunity to lead and go forward I think is great."

Bradley, meanwhile, has said he won't pick himself if he doesn't qualify outright and is focused on assembling a younger team around him for what is sure to be a lively Ryder Cup in New York.

Whether that roster of vice-captains includes Mickelson is yet to be seen, but Bradley conceded it is unlikely - going on to say that the six-time Major winner deserves to sit in his chair further down the line.

Discussing the subject of Mickelson being on his staff at Bethpage, Bradley said: “I still have a great relationship with Phil, but I don’t think he’s interested in being a vice captain. And to be honest with you, he’s a captain, someday, I think.

"I haven’t spoken to Phil, I don’t want to speak for him at all, but I think he’s pretty busy with what he’s doing and I have nothing but great things to say about Phil and our memories together, and what we did at the Ryder Cup is really one of my fondest memories in the game.”

Phil Mickelson is one of golf's characters, with Lefty continuing to perform at the highest level despite being north of 50. Along with his knowledge of the game, he's never afraid to sway away from the crowd and, ahead of the 2024 PGA Championship, that appeared to be exactly the case with what Mickelson was using on the putting green...

You may wonder what we are on about. Well, on Wednesday, the six-time Major winner was spotted donning a pair of goggles whilst striking some putts on the practice green. Specifically, the ProAim Putting Training Glasses.

First posted by GolfWRX on Instagram, the glasses work by light entering the yellow plastic beside the right eye, with it then essentially creating a putting alignment grid in the field of your vision.

The point of the ProAim is to make sure that you're square at address, with the stroke then being straight-back and straight-through, which ensures that the putter face is square to the intended target line, meaning you should hole more putts.

According to a quick Google search, the product is priced around $60, and has reportedly been used by the likes of legendary coach, Butch Harmon, as well as Natalie Gulbis and former Open champions Mark Calcavecchia and Darren Clarke.

Having won the PGA Championship historically in 2021, becoming the oldest Major winner ever at 50 years, 11 months, and 7 days, Mickelson is yet to win on the LIV Golf circuit since joining in 2022. In that time, his best result on the circuit is solo sixth at the 2024 Jeddah event, but Lefty did finish in a tie for second at the 2023 Masters.

Along with the run of results, Mickelson recently swapped putters to a L.A.B Golf DF3 in February 2024, ahead of the LIV Golf Jeddah event. Since then, he has stuck with the mallet, which is made by a company that is also used by the likes of Adam Scott and Lucas Glover.

Although he may be talking about winding down his illustrious career in the near future, Phil Mickelson showed why he's still box office viewing with a spectacular shot at LIV Golf Singapore.

The 53-year-old dropped a retirement hint ahead of the Singapore stop in the LIV Golf League - but Mickelson showed he still had all the shots with a highlight reel driver off the deck at Sentosa Golf Club.

Six-time Major champion Mickelson has never been afraid of taking the aggressive option, which he showed yet again as he absolutely smoked the big dog 300 yards off the fairway.

And he caught his shot at the 18th hole about as cleanly as you can with a driver off the floor, with the ball fizzing into the air and landing on the front edge of the green before rolling through just off the back.

Mickelson finished his round at one over and well down the field to perhaps show why he is thinking his time competing in pro golf could be coming to an end.

But there's no doubt he's still got every shot in the book, and some that aren't, that he can pull out at any time.

It's a nice timely reminder that age is no restriction to great golf shots, and even if Mickelson is entering the closing stretch of his career, he can still entertain the crowd just as much as ever.

"I’m 53 now and my career, you know, if I’m being truthful it’s toward its end,” Mickelson told Mickelson told Bloomberg TV in an interview for an upcoming episode of Latitude with Haslinda Amin.

“Now, I would like to help others find the same enjoyment and fulfilment that the game of golf has provided me.”

"There are moments when you are on a golf course alone and you have that solitude, or you could also be with family and friends having a good time or competing in a club championship or junior event or at the highest level and feeling that competition. 

"All of that creates such fulfilment, whether you're practising on your own or with friends. There's so many great things about the game of golf and I would love others to experience those things."

Phil Mickelson has admitted that his golf career is "towards its end" as the six-time Major champion gave the biggest indication yet that he is considering retirement.

Despite a rousing second-place finish at the Masters last year, Mickelson has otherwise struggled for form since his remarkable PGA Championship victory in 2021 aged 50. The American finished ninth at LIV Jeddah in March but has otherwise failed to record a top-30 finish in the five other events so far this season. 

At next month's US Open, he will resume his bid to complete the career grand slam but, speaking ahead of LIV Singapore this week, Mickelson hinted that he is already starting to turn his focus to the next chapter of his golfing journey.

"I’m 53 now and my career, you know, if I’m being truthful it’s toward its end,” Mickelson told Mickelson told Bloomberg TV in an interview for an upcoming episode of Latitude with Haslinda Amin.“Now, I would like to help others find the same enjoyment and fulfilment that the game of golf has provided me.”

"There are moments when you are on a golf course alone and you have that solitude, or you could also be with family and friends having a good time or competing in a club championship or junior event or at the highest level and feeling that competition. 

"All of that creates such fulfilment, whether you're practising on your own or with friends. There's so many great things about the game of golf and I would love others to experience those things."

Mickelson was the first big name to throw his weight behind the Saudi-backed LIV Golf prior to its inception in 2022. And even if the 53-year-old may soon step away from competition, he insisted he remained "bullish" on LIV's prospects for the coming years.

"I think there's a lot of things that are going to transpire over the next five or ten years," Mickelson said at his pre-tournament press conference in Singapore. "I'm very bullish and excited about what that means for LIV Golf.

"But there's also a lot of uncertainty. I think the things that I do know is I think the quality of the players will continue to get better each year. I think that the ability and the sites that we move throughout the world will continue to excite players and excite fans. 

"We'll be going to more countries outside of the United States that really are starving for world-class professional golf, and we'll have a lot more receptions like we had at Adelaide."

Brendan Steele says Phil Mickelson was a “big reason” for his victory at LIV Golf Adelaide, as the 41-year-old American won for the first time in more than six years.

Steele claimed a one-shot victory over Louis Oosthuizen at the Grange Golf Club thanks to a four-under 68 in the final round.

The three-time PGA Tour winner, who joined LIV in 2023, last won in October 2017 at the then-titled Safeway Open. 

Speaking to media after clinching his win and the $4 million check, Steele opened up about his close relationship with Mickelson, saying he relies on the HyFlyers GC captain for advice on both his golf and mental game. 

“I lean on Phil pretty hard with everything, with how to hit shots around the green, how to approach things,” he said. “He's one of the best players ever, and he can give me advice. If he's going to give me advice, I'm going to take it. 

“I definitely want to listen to him, and he's helped me a ton with everything from wedge play, short game, mental game. Just instilling confidence in myself, and he's a big reason I'm sitting up here.”

Steele claimed the 36-hole lead heading into the final day thanks to rounds of 66 and 64. However, the nerves started to hit as he looked to return to the winners’ circle once again.

“I'm pretty nervous all the time. I think that's just my DNA,” he said. “I really want to play well all the time, so it was about kind of overcoming that and trying to be as free as I could be, and I felt great with how I executed, even despite being very nervous.”

Steele revealed a conversation he had with Mickelson prior to the final round, which “reframed” his mindset and ultimately helped him shake off the jitters.

“He was like, ‘How are you feeling? What are you thinking?’ I said, ‘Well, if I can play freely like I did the last couple days, I feel like I'll have a good chance.’ He's like, ‘That's great. Let's reframe it. Let's make it when I play freely, I can play freely, I will play freely. Let's reframe it into that.’

“I was saying, ‘And then I think it'll be good enough.’ He's like, ‘No, it will be good enough, you will play freely. This is what you need to do.’ So that was what I was trying to do.”

Steele admitted the nerves reached a fever pitch on the 18th hole when he was left with a tricky 100-yard wedge shot into the green and needed a par to secure the victory.

But once again, Steele credited Mickelson for helping him perform when it mattered as he nailed his approach to within 10-feet, before two-putting for the win.

“That was pretty wild. I was terrified over that wedge shot, to be honest, because it's a really tough shot. I need to get it over the tier but not go into the back bunker. I've got 10,000 fans in the fairway kind of right on top of me.

“Fortunately all the work that I've put in over the off-season with Phil in his backyard and all the help that he's given me, it really paid off with that shot specifically.”

Steele shared a warm embrace with Mickelson after the win, which was the first time a HyFlyers player had won on the tour.

He revealed what Mickelson told him as they hugged, adding that he continues to improve even at his age thanks to the six-time Major champ.

“He was just telling me how proud he is of me and how he knew this was coming and he thinks it's going to set off a lot of really good things for me,” Steele said of their special moment after the win.

“Just for him to have that belief in me is really great. He's the reason that I'm here and the reason that I'm improving. To be honest, I'm 41 years old and I'm getting better, and it's mostly because of him. It's really great.”

The Masters is the first event of 2024 that brings those from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf League together, with a number of high-profile names from both sides playing in the final round at Augusta National.

Although he made the cut, Phil Mickelson never looked in contention at Augusta National, as the three-time Green Jacket winner carded a final round 74 to sit in a tie for 43rd.

Following his final day, the six-time Major winner was asked about his game at the Masters and, following his move to LIV Golf in June 2022, Lefty gave an interesting answer to the question after he made a 27th Masters cut at Augusta National.

"I don’t think it matters either way. Each competitive round is an opportunity to progress and get better. There are guys out on the Tour, players who only do 36 holes. A lot of guys only play 36 this week. 

"Every competitive round is an opportunity to play well and compete. I don’t think it makes a difference either way. We’ve got mini-tours playing 54, Champions Tour playing 54. I wouldn’t be surprised if some or all of LIV events went to 72. I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. I enjoy the competition."

Mickelson was one of the big names to join LIV Golf in June 2022 at the inaugural LIV  event, and explained the difference between 72 and 54 hole events as: "You have to play well the first day or you’re so far behind that it’s hard to catch up, whereas in 72 you can kind of work your way into the tournament and fight if you don’t have it the first day, fight to keep it around par then make up ground. It could go either way. It’s just the nuances of a different format."

In June 2023, the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Public Investment Fund announced a historic merger, but the deadline of December 2023 was not met. Because of this, the deadline was extended, with Tiger Woods and five fellow player directors on the PGA Tour policy board sitting down with Saudi Public Investment Fund boss Yasir Al-Rumayyan in March 2024.

Asked about the meeting, Mickelson stated: "Others are handling that. I’m not involved. Others are taking care of that."

Absolutely no one sets out to win The Masters purely for the money. It is, of course, a brilliant bonus, but the prestige and eternal place in the history books is why pro golfers try so desperately hard to win this one tournament every year.

Even if they don't manage it, several appearances and high finishes can help fill up a bank account quite quickly and ease the sting of defeat - especially in the modern era.

With prize purses after the turn of the millennium sky rocketing, those still competing in The Masters are able to earn a huge amount of money. The first time a Masters champion received north of $1 million was 2001 (Tiger Woods) while Jon Rahm was (metaphorically) handed a check for $3,240,000 in 2023.

But who has won the most cash overall? Well, perhaps unsurprisingly, the two money leaders heading into the 2024 tournament have not only won several times each, but they're also still competing.

Some way ahead of one-time winners Jordan Spieth, Rahm, and Dustin Johnson are the legendary figures of Woods and Phil Mickelson. Woods has five Green Jackets to his name while Mickelson has three, but it is Lefty who owns the bragging rights in terms of outright money earned at The Masters.

Before the 2024 tournament, which was the six-time Major winner's 31st drive down Magnolia Lane, Mickelson had earned $9,773,317. Victories in 2004 ($1,117,000), 2006 ($1,260,000), and 2010 ($1,350,000) did the majority of the grunt work there, but a T2 result alongside Brooks Koepka in 2023 was also a helpful earner with $1,944,000 million split 50-50 between the American pair.

Aside from those results, Mickelson has an astounding 12 top-10 finishes at The Masters with the first coming in 1995 (T7) and last year's making him the oldest runner up (52 years, 297 days) - one of many Masters record that Mickelson holds.

Woods, meanwhile, is currently enjoying his 26th trip around Augusta National. During the previous 25, the 15-time Major winner had earned $9,598,236 - meaning he trailed his long-time rival by almost $200,000. To pass him in 2024, Woods would likely need to finish inside the top-22 and hope Mickelson misses the cut.

The Masters is one of the only tournaments where players still earn money for simply teeing it up, though, so both players are guaranteed an extra $10,000 this week.

Elsewhere in the top-10 highest earners in the history of the Masters, only two of the remaining eight players have made more than 15 appearances. Justin Rose sits sixth with $4,403,765 from 18 visits to Augusta while Adam Scott is 10th thanks to $3,858,307 earned from 22 invites.

The remaining names on the list include Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson, and Hideki Matsuyama - all of whom have earned between $4.2 and $3.9 million from their respective visits to Augusta.

Phil Mickelson's name is etched into Masters history as a three-time champion, with the legendary left-hander winning in 2004, 2006 and 2010.

Mickelson is one of golf's all-time greats with six Major wins, and half of them came at Augusta National. He holds a number of impressive records in the year's first men's Major, and he managed to set a few in 2023 when finishing T2nd at the age of 52.

We take a look at some of Phil Mickelson's impressive Masters records...

Phil Mickelson Masters records:

1. Career scoring average over 100 rounds: 71.30

For all of Phil Mickelson's Masters records, this is perhaps the most impressive. Of all men to have played over 100 rounds in The Masters, nobody has a lower scoring average.

From 114 rounds, he has an average score of 71.30, which is lower than Jack Nicklaus' 71.98 in second-place.

2. Most money won: $9,773,317

Nobody has a lower scoring average (from over 100 rounds) and nobody has won more money at The Masters than Lefty.

From 30 starts, he has banked just under $10m. He is around $200,000 ahead of Tiger Woods in second and $3.7m ahead of Jordan Spieth in third.

3. Most 72-hole scores of 280 or lower: 9

Mickelson has shot or broken 280 (-8) a record nine times at The Masters, in 1995, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2023.

Tiger Woods has done it eight times, while Gary Player and Tom Watson have each scored 280 or better on six occasions.

4. Oldest runner-up: 52 years, 297 days in 2023

Phil Mickelson shot the lowest final round of a player over 50 in 2023 (65) to become the oldest runner-up in Masters history and also record the best finish from an over 50.

As well as those records, he also shot the lowest final 54-hole score from an over 50 (209 - 69, 75, 65).

5. Most appearances from a left hander: 30

Augusta National has been a happy hunting ground for lefties, and Mickelson is king.

He has 30 starts, six more than Mike Weir in second, and his record of 27 finishes is 15 more than Mike Weir and Bubba Watson.

He also holds the three lowest scores by a left-hander (272, 274 and 275 in 2010, 2015 and 2001) as well as the four lowest rounds (two 65s and two 66s).

Phil Mickelson has announced who his new caddie is, and he describes him as the "best green reader I've ever seen."

Lefty is teaming up with Jon Yarbrough after his brother Tim recently announced his retirement from caddying.

"I'm so excited to work with him and I've already learnt a lot," Mickelson said on social media.

Yarbrough has been a caddie for over 20 years, working with players including Scott Stallings, Suzanne Pettersen, Morgan Pressel, Bill Haas, Gary Woodland and Smylie Kaufman.

Yarbrough was born in Atlanta, Georgia and went to school in Texas. He'll be on Mickelson's bag this week at Trump Doral in the fifth event of the LIV Golf League season at LIV Golf Miami.

Mickelson's brother Tim has officially retired from caddying to spend more time with his family.

“I’ve had some great accomplishments in my career and getting to share them with my brother Tim has been beyond special,” Mickelson said. “I’m very lucky to have had him on the bag for me the past eight years and as my brother for life.

“So much has changed since he was single and we started working together. He’s found his life partner, Maranda, they’ve had their second son, and hopefully their family will continue to grow. While Tim is retiring from caddying, I’ll always cherish the many great moments we’ve shared on the course, and I look forward to many more special moments off the course, too.”

Lefty's former longtime bagman Jim 'Bones' Mackay recently parted ways with Justin Thomas, with the American set to have Patrick Cantlay's former looper Matt Minister on the bag for The Masters.

Bones' next move is currently unknown. He may be retiring, moving back into broadcasting or on the lookout for another bag.

Mickelson, captain of HyFlyers GC, is currently 27th in the LIV Golf League standings after four events, with his team sitting bottom. He recorded a best finish of 9th this season in Jeddah, with the six-time Major champion returning to Augusta next week after a stunning T2nd-place last year.

Phil Mickelson is confident Yasir Al-Rumayyan is the man to lead men’s professional golf into a future that is “a lot brighter” once peace breaks out between LIV and the established tours.

Al-Rumayyan is the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which bankrolls the breakaway circuit Mickelson is a member of.

He is also in talks with leading PGA Tour figures about striking a deal that it is hoped will end the quarrel that has fractured the men’s game and see players able move freely between tours.

The feud also seems to have driven fans away, with Rory McIlroy describing the sport’s current trajectory as not “sustainable” ahead of the Valero Texas Open.

The Northern Irishman’s comments were put to Mickelson on the eve of LIV Golf Miami and he cut an optimistic figure about how it’s all going to shake out.

“I agree with that,” the six-time Major winner said. “I think in the end, we are in a transitional state where we now have competition and that's leading to a lot of disruption and change but it's also in the end product going to make golf more global where the best players travel more.

“I don't know how it's going to end out, exactly, or what it's going to look like. I'm putting my trust in Yasir and where the game is headed more globally.

“But at some point when it gets ironed out, I think it's going to be in a much better place where we bring the best players from the world, and it's going to open up more opportunities for manufacturing, course design, for players in different parts of the world to be inspired and enter the game.

“I think it's going to be in a much better place. But right now, we are in the disruption phase, so we are in the middle of the process, and when it's all said and done, it's going to be a lot brighter. But while we go through it, it's challenging. But we'll get there.”

Bryson DeChambeau also spoke on the subject of golf coming back together, calling on unification to happen soon and declaring that "too many people are losing interest" in the game.

Mickelson is gearing up for his 31st Masters appearance and believes Trump National Doral is “a great place to get ready” for the unique challenge of Augusta National.

The 53-year-old has won three Green Jackets and picked up an additional nine top-five finishes, including a surprise T2 12 months ago.

Describing why he's had so much success at the iconic venue, he added: “I obviously love the place. It's a course where I feel I don't have to be perfect.

“When I go through the gates and drive down Magnolia Lane, I relax a little bit because if we miss it on the right side of the hole, given the pin placement, if we miss in the correct side we can still salvage par utilizing our short games.

“We have shots -- like the shot Bubba [Watson] hit in the playoff where you hook the wedge on 10 to eight feet, you can still be creative and recover at Augusta, which is why I think it's so fun to watch.

“The recovery shots there are so exciting because the trees are high enough where you have a swing, as opposed to take an unplayable lie and wedging out. I think that adds to a lot of the drama of Augusta, and you also then don't have to be perfect.”

Scott Stallings' loss appears to be Phil Mickelson's gain as the former's caddie, Jon Yarbrough is expected to switch bags ahead of the 2024 Masters tournament.

Yarbrough and Stallings had been a team for much of the past decade, but without much outright success for the Worcester, Massachusetts-born golfer. Stallings - who was winless on the PGA Tour since the Farmers Insurance Open in 2014 - had qualified for the 2023 Masters, though, where he finished T26 after reaching the Tour Championship a few months earlier.

However, after missing the cut in five of his eight starts this season, Stallings looks to have waved goodbye to his caddie of 10 years.

According to Golfweek, Yarbrough will link up with Mickelson for the first time at LIV Golf Miami next weekend before carrying Lefty's bag around Augusta National days later.

During a 20-plus-year career, Yarbrough has been on the bag of players such as Suzann Pettersen, Morgan Pressel, Bill Haas, Gary Woodland and Smylie Kaufman.

Posting a short but heartfelt message to his caddie on Instagram, Stallings said of Yarbrough: "Here’s to a great 10 years @jylooper. You made me a better player inside the ropes and a better man outside of them. Thank you for everything."

Mickelson was briefly on the hunt for a new bagman following the news that his brother Tim would be stepping down with immediate effect on Tuesday.

Seven years Phil's junior, Tim had looped for his brother since 2016 and watched the six-time Major winner claim the 2018 WGC-Mexico, the 2019 Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the PGA Tour as well as - most impressively of all - the 2021 PGA Championship.

In an Instagram post, 53-year-old Phil said: “I've had some great accomplishments in my career and getting to share them with my brother Tim has been beyond special. I’m very lucky to have had him on the bag for me the past eight years and as my brother for life."

Despite struggling to replicate his PGA Tour form on LIV, Mickelson went on to suggest his brother's family commitments had led to the decision for Tim to end his caddying career, rather than for form-related reasons.

Mickelson continued: "So much has changed since he was single and we started working together. He’s found his life partner, Maranda, they’ve had their second son, and hopefully their family will continue to grow.

"While Tim is retiring from caddying, I’ll always cherish the many great moments we’ve shared on the course and I look forward to many more special moments off the course too.”

Elsewhere on LIV, Caleb Surratt - a teammate of Jon Rahm on Legion XIII - has apparently poached Akshay Bhatia's caddie, Brian Dilley, a friend of Rahm's caddie, Adam Hayes.

In a text sent to USA Today Sports, Surratt said of his new looper: “I’m still learning, growing, and working on everything that I’m beginning to see what I need as a player in order to grow and be able to compete to the highest level, and I think Brian Dilley‘s gonna be able to help me get to that point.

“He has caddied at an extremely high-level for longer than I’ve been alive, and undoubtably will be a great set of eyes to have on my golf game. Everyone on my team around me, speaks very highly of him, and I’m very excited to get to work with him in the coming weeks.

"It’s been a very enjoyable ride so far, and I’m excited to keep learning myself, and learning professional golf game, and eventually grow to be one of the best players in the world.”

LIV Golf player Phil Mickelson has announced that his brother Tim is retiring from caddying duties for the six-time Major winner.

The pair struck up a productive working relationship in the eight years that Tim, who is seven years younger than Lefty, had been on the bag, including victory at the 2021 PGA Championship and runner-up at last year’s Masters.

Mickelson also won the 2018 WGC-Mexico and 2019 Pebble Beach Pro-Am with his brother alongside him. However, in a message posted on his social media platforms, the 53-year-old has revealed that the spell has now come to an end.

He wrote: “I've had some great accomplishments in my career and getting to share them with my brother Tim has been beyond special. I’m very lucky to have had him on the bag for me the past eight years and as my brother for life."

Despite the success Mickelson has shared with Tim on the course for almost a decade, he has struggled to reproduce his best form since signing for LIV Golf in 2022, although a T6 for the Hy Flyers GC captain at LIV Golf Jeddah earlier in the month offered evidence that the partnership could still be successful.

However, Mickelson then hinted that his brother’s family commitments had led to the decision for Tim to end his caddying career, rather than for form-related reasons.

He continued: “So much has changed since he was single and we started working together. He’s found his life partner, Maranda, they’ve had their second son, and hopefully their family will continue to grow. While Tim is retiring from caddying, I’ll always cherish the many great moments we’ve shared on the course and I look forward to many more special moments off the course too.”

The news comes only two weeks before Mickelson returns to Augusta National as he attempts to claim a fourth title at The Masters to add to the ones he won in 2004, 2006 and 2010.

Mickelson held the clubhouse lead at the 2023 edition after his final round before Spaniard Jon Rahm, who Tim coached at Arizona State University, eventually claimed the Green Jacket.

Phil Mickelson What’s In The Bag?

Phil Mickelson was a Callaway staff ambassador for many years, but that partnership no longer exists. The manufacturer decided to pause their relationship following his controversial comments about the Saudi government during a conversation with golf biographer Alan Shipnuck in 2022. 

The HyFlyers captain may no longer be on the Callaway playing staff, but he still plays a number of its clubs. These days, Lefty has a mixed line-up of brands in the bag and would appear quite comfortable chopping and changing as he sees fit. 

Driver

What Driver Does Phil Mickelson Use? 

Lefty is happy to try different models of driver. Over the last few years, the American has had a Callaway Epic Speed driver (which had just 5.25° of loft), a Callaway Rogue ST Max and a Ping G430. However, for the time being he would appear to have settled on using a Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond driver. We believe it has 8.5° of loft and is fitted with the Fujikura Ventus TR Red 6 X shaft. 

Mickelson also has a TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver; it's a club that might not make it into the bag every week, but one that he does like to use. This club has 11.5° of loft and is fitted with the Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X shaft. The stand-out feature of this driver, as the name would suggest, is the size. At just 304cc, it is noticeably more compact than any of the best golf drivers. It's most likely a club that Mickelson can call upon when he's in search of a bit more control.  

Fairway Woods

What Fairway Wood Does Phil Mickelson Use?

This is another part of the bag that the six-time Major winner tends to experiment with from time to time. At present, it appears as though he has a Callaway Apex UW (utility wood) in the bag that is fulfilling the role of a fairway wood. We're not certain of the loft, but this versatile offering - which isn't what you'd call a fairway wood or a hybrid - is fitted with a Fujikura Ventus Red 9 X shaft. 

Mickelson was involved in this club's development and joined other Callaway staffers in calling for a “go to” club that better players could count on from the tee, fairway or rough. It appears that he still enjoys playing with what he helped to come up with. 

Hybrid

What Hybrid Does Phil Mickelson Use?

Interestingly, Mickelson has also been seen playing with a Ping Anser hybrid. It's our understanding that this has 17° of loft and is fitted with a Mitsubishi Kuro Kage Prototype shaft. 

Irons

What Irons Does Phil Mickelson Use?

Mickelson currently has a 22° Callaway X Forged UT iron and Callaway X Forged 2013 irons (6-9). They are fitted with the KBS Tour-V 125 shaft. The American is regarded as one of the finest ball-strikers of his generation, so it's no surprise to see him playing with a set of old favorites. 

Wedges

What Wedges Does Phil Mickelson Use?

Mickelson, one of the best short game players of all time, carries two Callaway wedges and a Ping Eye2 XG. His Callaway wedges are the Jaws Raw, 50° and 56° (50-10S, 56-12W), whilst his old Ping wedge is his lob wedge. We're not certain what loft it is. 

Putter

What Putter Does Phil Mickelson Use?

At the LIV Golf Invitational - Las Vegas in February, it appeared as though Mickelson had returned to using an Odyssey 9 putter, although we're not certain of the exact model. 

Ball

What Ball Does Phil Mickelson Use?

Mickelson plays the Callaway Chrome Soft X Triple Track, a ball which features a multi-coloured alignment aid. The Callaway Chrome Soft has been joined by the Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X in 2024, so it will be interesting to see if Mickelson makes the switch any time soon. Callaway makes some of the best premium golf balls on the market - if you’re looking for a ball that will offer control and distance off the tee, and soft feel on the greens, these models are well worth considering.

Apparel/Shoes

What Shoes Does Phil Mickelson Wear?

Mickelson clearly prioritizes comfort, for Cuater manufacture some of the most comfortable golf shoes on the market, a brand that Jon Rahm and Sam Burns have also worn in the past. Cuater is owned by TravisMathew, Mickelson's choice of golf clothing. 

Phil Mickelson WITB: Full Specs

*Mickelson swaps between clubs depending on the course and conditions.

Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond, 8.5°, Fujikura Ventus TR Red 6 X shaft, TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver, 11.5°, Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X shaft.
Fairway wood: Callaway Apex UW, Fujikura Ventus Red 9 X shaft.
Hybrid: Ping Anser, 17°, Mitsubishi Kuro Kage Prototype shaft.
Irons: Callaway X Forged UT, 22°, Callaway X Forged 2013 (6-9), KBS Tour-V 125 shafts.
Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw, 50°, 56°, Ping Eye2 XG.
Putter: Odyssey 9.
Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X with Triple Track.
Apparel & glove: TravisMathew, Callaway.
Footwear: Cuater.

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are undoubtedly two of golf's modern-day greats. The duo share 21 Major championships and 115 regular PGA Tour titles as well as a host of other trophies and accolades.

Woods was well known for having a sparkling all-around game while Mickelson is the proud owner of one of the best short games ever seen - complimenting his excellent overall skill. Both could shift it out there during their heyday - but who hit it further?

Woods v Mickelson Driving Distances

Between Mickelson turning pro in 1988 and Woods arriving on the scene a full eight years later, Lefty regularly sat in the top half of the PGA Tour's longest drivers over the course of a season and only once dipped below the tour average. That was in his first season, where he was just 0.3 yards shy of the 262.9 yard median.

During his early years in the big leagues, Mickelson struggled with consistency of distance off the tee. He posted 262.6 in 1988 before rocketing up to 278.7 a year later and crashing back down to 266.2 in 1990. But from 1991 onwards, Mickelson's numbers predominantly moved one way - up.

The three-time Masters champion was never crowned the longest hitter over a season, however. He twice came close by finishing third in both 2000 and 2003, with the second of those efforts producing a mammoth average driving distance of 306 yards. 

Prior to that, Mickelson finished in a tie for third in 2000 with a year-long number of 288.7. And guess who was one of the two above him? Tiger Woods. Five years into his professional career, Woods actually ended 2000 almost 10 yards longer than Mickelson with 298.0 - though he trailed monster hitter, John Daly by a full 3.5 yards, himself.

Lefty's longest season in professional golf arrived during the shortened 2020 campaign - where the Covid-19 pandemic caused much of the world to stop in its tracks for at least a brief period. Mickelson's 311.5 average was only ahead of his 306.3 the previous year, record numbers which arrived following a swing-speed increase of between five and six miles per hour that helped Mickelson start hitting bombs and ultimately add Major number six to his display cabinet at the age of 50.

And his most recent season in the LIV Golf League proves he has been able to maintain that power, too. Throughout 2023, Mickelson averaged an incredible 301.8 yards off the tee - higher than the PGA Tour average of 299.9.

Meanwhile, once Woods turned pro, the 15-time Major champion spent each of his first five full seasons on tour as one of the top-three longest hitters off the tee, without managing to dislodge Daly, via yardages of 293.1 and 298.

Woods continued to win plenty of titles but only lifted above 300 yards at the end of a campaign between 2004-07 - not reaching the magic number again until 2015. His longest year on tour was in 2005, belting it an average of 316.1 yards. Woods remained comfortably above the tour average in every season he featured, aside from the 2021 season where he fell below by 5.9 yards.

And of the 27 seasons where both golfers had turned professional and played at least one tournament - Woods missed the entire 2016 campaign - Woods outdrove Mickelson in 18 of them.

Woods v Mickelson Longest Drives

Although neither had managed to stand on top of the average-driving-distance mountain, so to speak, both Woods and Mickelson are able to boast the longest single drive in separate years on the PGA Tour.

Woods' longest drive arrived at the Mercedes Championship in January 2002 - the first year the PGA Tour began recording such a statistic - and was just a hop short of 500 yards, coming to rest at an outstanding 498 yards. 

Not to take anything away from Woods, but the mammoth smash came on the 18th hole of the Plantation Course in Hawaii - a hole that features a large downslope - and he was one of 19 players to hit the ball over 450 yards on that hole during the tournament that week. Still, it goes down as his longest ever drive on the PGA Tour.

Meanwhile, Mickelson's big-drive crown arrived in 2013 - the same year he won The Open ahead of Henrik Stenson at Muirfield Golf Links in Scotland. It probably didn't occur in the way he had planned, mind, with the left-hander slightly pulling a drive down the right side of the par-4 17th at TPC Blue Monster at Doral in the WGC-Cadillac Championship.

Thanks to the errant line, though, Mickelson's ball bounded down the cart path far further than it ordinarily would have and landed pin-high at 450 yards. That helped him win the longest drive of 2013 and tie Woods for one unofficial long-drive crown each.

The above statistics prove that both legends of the game were long hitters. But while Mickelson is now hitting it further than ever, it's safe to say that - throughout their careers - Woods came out on top in this particular battle.

In 2000 only one player, John Daly, averaged over 300 yards off the tee on the PGA Tour. In a tie for third place was Phil Mickelson and Davis Love III on 288.7.

It's worth remembering that Mickelson played Yonex clubs for the first eight years of his professional career, a period from 1992-2000 when he would win 17 times. At the 2000 US Open Mickelson, who would turn 30 that week, asked the then head of Titleist, Wally Uihlein, what new equipment they had coming out?

Uihlein told him of a 'Laboratory Test Ball' and that would become the game-changing Pro V1. The left-hander would then sign with Titleist – he helped design and develop the 731PM irons to offer left-handed players a more traditional blade iron choice – and he was a huge advocate of the Pro V1.

He would hype it as the biggest thing in equipment since steel shafts replaced hickory and, Phil being Phil, he even suggested that positioning the seam and the clubface could produce extra yards. In the 2003 season he was up to third on the driving distance stats with an average tee shot of 306 yards.

In 2004 he would win his first Major when he landed the Masters but he and Titleist would part ways just nine days before the Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills as he signed up with Callaway.

Mickelson's low point for driving distance came in 2013, the year he won The Open at Muirfield, when he was averaging 287 yards off the tee. For a player who was always in the upper echelons of the driving stats he was now at 93rd and edging towards his mid 40s.

By the 2017 season, at the age of 47, he was back inside the top 20 and back at 306 yards. By now Mickelson's body shape was noticeably changing. He would prioritise large periods of his training to increasing his speed – he averaged 119.5 mph with his driver at 39 and 120 mph at 48.

In May 2021 he would become the oldest Major champion when he won the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. His routine now involved a healthier diet and more exercise, an emphasis on coffee, pulsed electromagnetic-field therapy for pain management, intermittent fasting to combat lethargy, neurological breathing techniques for improved focus and meditation.

Equipment wise he would go from a 45-inch driver to a 46-inch model. Before his Tour Champions debut he asked Callaway to make him a 47.5-inch driver and, from there, the manufacturers also worked on finding Mickelson find the perfect launch and spin for optimum distance.

This year, on LIV Golf and at the age of 53, he averages 299.6 yards off the tee. For some sort of reference only two players on the PGA Tour Champions, Robert Karlsson and Tim O'Neal, averaged over the golden figure of 300 yards this year.

For a good insight into Mickelson's emphasis on length he said this when playing on the PGA Tour Champions having been asked about finishing 81st for driving accuracy and still finishing first.

“So, I look at longest, like I try to hit it the farthest out here, and I was No. 1 in driving distance. “That’s the way I look at it. If you want to look at stuff that’s irrelevant, have a look at it. What I’m looking at is distance. I want to hit it — I want to fly it 305 and try to — because I’m a really good wedge player, so if I get wedges in my hand, I’m going to be tough to beat.”

Phil Mickelson’s Driving Distance Through The Years 

• 2000: 288.7 yards (3rd)
• 2001: 293.9 yards (6th)
• 2002: 288.8 yards (25th)
• 2003: 306.0 yards (3rd)
• 2004: 295.4 yards (30th)
• 2005: 300.0 yards (26th)
• 2006: 300.7 yards (17th)
• 2007: 298.1 yards (29th)
• 2008: 295.7 yards (35th)
• 2009: 300.1 yards (13th)
• 2010: 299.1 yards (13th)
• 2011 299.8 yards (22nd)
• 2012: 294.4 yards (53rd)
• 2013: 287.9 yards (93rd)
• 2014: 292.4 yards (70th)
• 2015: 300.5 yards (22nd)
• 2016: 294.8 yards (56th)
• 2017: 293.5 yards (89th)
• 2018: 300.3 yards (57th)
• 2019: 306.3 yards (19th)
• 2020: 301.5 yards (59th)
• 2021: 301.8 yards (54th)
• 2023: 299.6 (28th in LIV Golf League)

Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have produced some incredibly talented golfers through the years from Ryder Cup legends to World No.1s and multiple Major champions.

Similar to rugby, the island of Ireland is united when it comes to golf with both Republic of Ireland golfers and Northern Ireland golfers playing under the Golfing Union of Ireland at amateur level as well as in the Olympics.

Irish golfers have also produced some truly iconic moments in the game. So who are the best?

We have taken a look at 13 of them here, starting with modern great Rory McIlroy.

Best Irish Golfers Of All Time

Northern Ireland Golfers

Rory McIlroy

• Born: 1989
• Tour Wins: 37
• Majors: 4

McIlroy was tipped to be the next big thing as a youngster and he has delivered on that early promise in his career so far. Four Major titles, 24 PGA Tour wins, three FedEx Cups, four Race to Dubais and over 100 weeks as World No.1. He has played in six Ryder Cups for Europe, winning four times.

When his career is all said and done, he will go down as one of the greatest ever.

Darren Clarke

• Born: 1968
• Tour Wins: 21
• Majors: 1

A winner all over the world, Darren Clarke is considered to be one of Europe's great modern ball strikers. He famously won the 2011 Open Championship, where he saw off the challenges of Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson to win his only Major title.

He also played in five Ryder Cups and captained the Europeans in 2016. Clarke also won the 2022 Senior Open.

Fred Daly

• Born: 1911
• Tour Wins: 26
• Majors: 1

Fred Daly was the first player from either Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland to win a Major title and play in the Ryder Cup.

His Major win came at the 1947 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool and he also represented Great Britain that year too.

Graeme McDowell

• Born: 1979
• Tour Wins: 16
• Majors: 1

An 11-time winner on the European Tour, McDowell has several moments that have defined his superb career.

He won the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach, holed a crucial birdie putt on the 16th hole at Celtic Manor at the 2010 Ryder Cup which would go on to help Europe secure victory, and he also once beat Tiger Woods in a playoff to win the 2010 Chevron World Challenge.

Ronan Rafferty

• Born: 1964
• Tour Wins: 14

Another multiple time European Tour winner, Rafferty's finest career moment came at the 1989 Ryder Cup in which he delivered a crucial singles point on Sunday. He beat Mark Calcavecchia 1-up to help Europe retain the Cup in a famous 14-all tie.

The Northern Irishman won seven European Tour titles including the 1989 Volvo Masters at Valderrama.

Republic of Ireland Golfers

Padraig Harrington

• Born: 1971
• Tour Wins: 37
• Majors: 3

Padraig Harrington is one of Ireland's greatest players thanks to a resume that includes two Open Championships, a PGA Championship, 15 European Tour wins and six Ryder Cups (four victories).

The Irishman also won the 2022 US Senior Open following his Ryder Cup captaincy in 2021. Harrington is known as one of the grittiest competitors on tour with one of the very best short games.

Joe Carr

• Born: 1922
• Amateur Wins: 3

Perhaps a lesser-known name compared to others on this list, Joe Carr has a strong case for being Ireland's greatest ever amateur.

He won three British Amateur titles, was a semi-finalist in 1961 for the US Amateur, and was the first Irishman to play in The Masters. He did so in 1967 and played the first two rounds at Augusta National with Jack Nicklaus.

Shane Lowry

• Born: 1987
• Tour Wins: 6
• Majors: 1

Lowry turned professional after winning the 2009 Irish Open as an amateur, and ten years later he would win his first Major title at the 2019 Open Championship, which was famously hosted at Royal Portrush. 

The popular Irishman won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in 2015 and went on to win the 2022 BMW PGA Championship. He made his Ryder Cup debut in 2021, playing under good friend and European captain Padraig Harrington.

Christy O'Connor Senior

• Born: 1924
• Tour Wins: 65

During the 1950's and 60's, O'Connor Sr couldn't stay out of the winners circle as he eventually racked up 65 wins as a professional.

He also played in ten Ryder Cups, being on the winning side once in 1957.

He and Harry Bradshaw won the Canada Cup, now more commonly known as the World Cup of Golf, in 1958 for Ireland.

Harry Bradshaw

• Born: 1913
• Tour Wins: 18

Bradshaw won many times as a pro on the European circuit and in Ireland as well as the 1958 Canada Cup, but perhaps his most famous moment came in 1949 at The Open.

During the second round his ball came to rest near broken glass of a beer bottle but instead of getting relief he played it as it lied and dropped a shot at the hole. It would prove crucial as he tied with Bobby Locke after four rounds of regulation play and then lost in a playoff the next day.

Christy O'Connor Junior

• Born: 1948
• Tour Wins: 16

Another iconic O'Connor, Christy Junior is best known for beating Fred Couples at the 1989 Ryder Cup with his iconic 2-iron on the 18th hole at The Belfry.

He won four times on the European Tour, including the 1975 Irish Open and 1992 British Masters. He was also T3 at the 1985 Open.

Des Smyth

• Born: 1953
• Tour Wins: 26

A total of 22 years separated Smyth's first and last wins on the European Tour. His first came in 1979 and last came in 2001 which makes him one of three golfers to have won in four different decades. Mark McNulty and Lee Westwood are the others.

Smyth won eight times on the European Tour and five times on the European Senior Tour. He played for Europe twice in the Ryder Cup and had a best Major finish of T4 at the 1982 Open.

Eamonn Darcy

• Born: 1952
• Tour Wins: 16

Darcy's crowning achievement as a professional was beating Ben Crenshaw during the singles of the 1987 Ryder Cup which staved off the charging Americans.

He won four times on the European Tour, including the 1983 Spanish Open. His best Major finish of T5 came at the 1991 Open and he made four appearances for Europe in the Ryder Cup between 1975 and 1987.

We look back through the archives and pick out the 10 best Nike golf clubs ever made

Following the dramatic news that Nike is to step away from club and ball making business in 2016, we picked out our favourite pieces of Nike golf equipment since the company first started making them back in 1998.

Nike was a relative newcomer to golf when it signed Tiger Woods in 1996 for a record $40m, five-year endorsement deal and his ‘Hello world’ line became world famous. It signalled the brand’s intent to move into hard goods, having already made golf shoes and apparel since the 1980s.

Nike’s clubs received some stick in their early years, famously from Phil Mickelson who claimed Tiger was using ‘inferior equipment’. But Woods won four straight majors after changing to the Tour Accuracy TW ball in 2000, became the first player in 30 years to win the Masters and US Open in the same year after changing to a Nike driver; and won a World Golf Championship in Ireland the week he switched to Nike irons. It wouldn’t appear his Nike equipment was holding him back.

The last ever Nike club launch, the Vapor Fly range, was a solid performer as good as anything else out there. During its 14-year tenure in the golf industry, the Nike brand created some excellent golf equipment. Here are 10 of the best Nike products ever made.

Nike VR TW Pro blades - 2008

Tiger Woods helped create this set that replaced the Nike blades he had used for over five years. The centre of gravity was positioned to Woods’ specs to provide added control and to aid shot shaping. The set has a slightly modified shape and thicker toe than the original Nike blade, which was well received by golfers.

Nike Vapor Fly driver - 2016

Distinguished by its bold blue crown with Volt color in the Compression Channel, the Nike Vapor Fly driver has three key technologies that are said to increase launch, distance and forgiveness while reducing spin. A lighter crown resulted in a lower center of gravity and higher MOI for higher launch, less spin and more forgiveness.

Another new feature is the HyperFlight face, which has been thinned out around the perimeter to minimize ball speed loss on off-centre hits. The Compression Channel seen on previous drivers has been re-engineered, creating a springboard effect to amplify performance on miss-hits.

Nike Precision Tour Accuracy TW ball - 2001

This ball caused quite a stir in 2000 when it was revealed the Tour Accuracy TW ball Tiger Woods used in competition was different to the version he promoted in Nike advertisements that was on sale to the public.

His version had a core and cover that was each 5 per cent firmer for a slightly lower ball flight with slightly less spin for his faster swing speed. The mass market Tour Accuracy ball was a non-wound, urethane covered ball that featured Dynafuse injection moulded technology.

Nike VR Forged Pro Combo irons - 2013

They looked like blades and offered similar feel and distance control, but with much more forgiveness built in. Arguably Nike’s best amateur better player combo set, the 3, 4, 5 and 6-irons featured a pocket cavity filled with a polymer Nike called ‘shot-making gel’ while the shorter clubs, from 7-iron through to pitching wedge, have split cavities, with the focus on shot precision.

High-frequency X3X grooves were designed to provide optimal spin.

Nike VR_S Covert driver - 2013

In an industry first, the back-middle section of this driver’s sole was removed in an effort to increase perimeter weighting for forgiveness and position the CG more forwards to reduce spin. It didn’t quite provide the feel golfers demanded but subsequent versions improved on this, right up to the Nike Vapor Fly driver launched earlier this year. It came in two versions, including the Tour version pictured above.

Nike SasQuatch Fairway wood - 2008

The legendary SQ fairway wood was a huge seller and popular on tour too. Tiger Woods still had them in the bag in 2010, and Charl Schwartzel used them to win The Masters in 2011.

The had a 'Monorail' sole to reduce drag and a face made from cryogenically tempered 'Cryo Steel' that was said to be thinner and stronger than Titanium for extra distance.

Nike T40 fairway wood - 2005

This was a cutting-edge fairway wood at the time because it featured a 40g tungsten plug inside the clubhead to lower the centre of gravity (CG) and increase the launch angle, which was much more tungsten than other manufacturers were using at the time.

Nike Ignite driver - 2004

As used by Tiger Woods in his early days, this driver featured a NexTi Titanium Face which Nike claimed was the hottest and strongest titanium ever created.

The NexTi face material allows for a head construction that results in an extremely wide COR or spring like effect. The original version of this driver would now be non-conforming to the rules of golf, it was that hot.

Nike RZN balls - 2011

Nike engineers first discovered in 2011 that they could make a ball core material that performed better than rubber. It was called RZN and went on to feature across many other different Nike product categories, including drivers.

There were four different RZN balls in 2016, the RZN Tour Platinum and RZN Tour Black for fast swingers and the RZN Speed White and RZN Speed Red for slower swing speeds. The core on the 2016 Nike RZN golf balls also had a Speedlock pattern that stop the balls’ layers slipping so they can compress more powerfully at impact, for more distance on mishit shots where you strike the ball with a glancing blow.

Rory McIlroy used the RZN Black in 2014 to win The Open and PGA Championship, his third and fourth Majors.

Nike Vapor Fly Pro irons - 2016

More compact than the Nike Vapor Fly irons, the progressive Vapor Fly Pro irons came with a black PVD finish aimed at both game improvers and better players. The now-legendary irons are still being used in 2023 by certain players in the 2/3 iron.

The set featured a modern muscle design that positions the centre of gravity (CG) in the middle of the face for added stability and a better feel at impact. It’s shape and size meant it offered more workability than a traditional game improvement iron.

The use of RZN material created lower and deeper weighting that encouraged a higher launch, and in turn, a steeper descent angle to help shots stop quicker.

Coupon Discount Codes

Ten years ago today Phil Mickelson won The Open at the 20th time of asking. Comfortably his worst Major, in terms of top 10s anyway, he might easily now be a three-time champion of the Claret Jug. 

At Muirfield he played maybe one of his greatest rounds and definitely one of his greatest finishes. In his last six holes he added four birdies to very quickly turn a shoot-out with Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson and Adam Scott into a three-shot victory.

Just two years ago he became the oldest Major champion in the history of the game, aged 50 years and 11 months at the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. Three months ago he was second at Augusta.

Today he teed off with Nick Taylor and Adam Schenk who have three PGA Tour wins between them, all Taylor’s. The previous three groups contained the star names where Mickelson would ordinarily sit but, as we all know, times and things have changed and, for Mickelson, almost out of sight.

On the upside this looked more like Mickelson. On Thursday we were treated to a clingy, grey round-neck top that stood out as much for the single logo as much as it did for how poorly it fitted. Gone is Workday and KPMG, in its place the HyFlyers emblem.

This time around the six-time Major winner was all in black and things looked more normal. These days his clothes are from Travis Mathew, his shoes by Cuater, and his belt, trademark Mickelson, appeared to be worth more than the whole ensemble put together.

There is the the beginning of a moustache which might be a new look or just a bit of laziness and his weight remains a shadow of his former self. At Augusta he turned up 25 pounds lighter and not much of that appears to have gone back on. 

The bag, which made further mention of the HyFlyers, as well as Grayhawk GC, was plonked down on the opposite side of the tee and Mickelson enjoyed some final few swings ahead of his 98th round at The Open.

The one familiar aspect of all things Mickelson remains the Arnold Palmer-like thumbs up which appeared immediately as he arrived on the 1st tee. When his name was announced the welcome was warm, noticeably louder than many of the previous groups, and the shot.. different.

Different in that he chose to hit an iron which nobody within the past hour had done and different in that it was so poorly hit it left him with further to go with his second shot in. Almost by osmosis it then brought about two very quick hooks by Taylor and Schenk and the threeball were away to cheers of ‘looking good, Phil’ and ‘do it for the lefties’.

Cue more thumbs up.

To say Mickelson is a man of the people might be pushing it but, rest assured, he will spend a lot of time in among them. For his second shot of the day he required some line-of-sight relief and, after moving the crowds this way and that, this 53-year-old was dropping a ball from knee height which still remains an odd sight. Equally as strange was the sight of Mickelson using a Ping driver to measure the drop.

After the usual pose – club in right hand, visualising what’s coming next – Mickelson smashed a long iron from 237 yards to the throat of the green.

More cap touching, more thumbs up, more thank yous and he was back on his way.  

For once, as has been a feature of his career, there was no happy ending. The third was almost pitch perfect but the six-foot putt stayed above ground.

The driver re-appeared at the 2nd and he smashed it 336 yards down the middle. And then missed the green from 100 yards. Ever the contrarian.

After the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush, The Open heads back to the North West of England and Royal Birkdale.

It's then up to St Andrews in 2027 for another instalment at the Home of Golf.

Beyond that, it's not yet been confirmed which of the courses on The Open Rota will stage the 156th Open, or whether a new venue will be added.

153rd Open Championship - Royal Portrush (13-20 July, 2025)

The Open heads to Royal Portrush in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, for just the third time in July.

After a 68-year gap, the second staging of The Open at this venue was won by Ireland’s Shane Lowry in 2019, a hugely popular result for the home crowd.

The County Offaly native went into the final round with a four-shot lead, and although he only managed a 72 on Sunday, he finished six shots clear of Tommy Fleetwood.

In 1951, the only other time The Open has been staged here, it was Englishman Max Faulkner who came out on top.

154th Open Championship - Royal Birkdale (12-19 July, 2026)

The Open returns to the Southport venue for the 11th time and the first time since Jordan Spieth's remarkable victory in 2017.

The American picked up five shots in his last five holes after carving his tee shot onto the driving range at the 13th.

Royal Birkdale was founded in 1889 and was awarded royal status in 1951. Three years later, Peter Thomson won the first of his five Claret Jugs; he would also win here in 1965.

The roll call of winners includes Arnold Palmer (1961), Lee Trevino (1971), Johnny Miller (1976), Tom Watson (1983), Ian Baker-Finch (1991), Mark O'Meara (1998) and Padraig Harrington (2008).

155th Open Championship - St Andrews (11-18 July, 2027)

St Andrews will host The Open for the 31st time in 2027, five years on from when Cameron Smith putted everyone into submission.

From Tom Kidd’s success in 1873 to Smith's victory in 2022, the famous Old Course has witnessed more memorable moments than any other Open venue.

Players to have tasted success on the Fife links include Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Watson, Sir Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods.

It was here, of course, that Woods clinched the first of three Claret Jugs, delivering an absolute masterclass in 2000.

Where will The Open take place in 2028?

Speculation continues to mount that Portmarnock could host The Open in the not-too-distant future.

The Open has never left the United Kingdom before, but the club, which is located on the north-east edge of Ireland's capital, Dublin, has long been tipped to host golf's oldest Major Championship.

As for 2028, could Trump Turnberry get the nod? At this stage, we can only speculate.

The crucial 'no poaching' clause of the PGA Tour's framework deal with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) has been dropped in response to the US Justice Department's inquiry into the merger.

The landmark deal announced on June 6 did not have too many firm details in it, but one of the few - along with dropping all legal proceedings on both sides - was an agreement that neither side would try and poach players from the other.

The clause stated that the PGA Tour and LIV Golf would not "solicit or recruit any players who are members of the other tours" as the two parties looked to work together.

Greg Norman's LIV Golf made such a big splash in the golf world when investing Saudi's sovereign wealth into paying huge sign-on fees to Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and other big names to take them away from the PGA Tour.

That led to a clause in the initial agreement between the PGA Tour and PIF that prohibited any more poaching of players by either side.

The New York Times reported that the Justice Department had already raised concerns about the language in the framework agreement, with antitrust experts also warning that it could break federal law on the integrity of labour markets.

Now, the 'no poaching' clause has been removed from the agreement, with the PGA Tour insisting the spirit of it will remain as both parties negotiate "in good faith" towards a final deal.

"The Framework Agreement sets the stage for an exciting future for professional golf that re-establishes competition at the highest levels of the sport and creates the biggest stage for everyone - players, sponsors, and fans," the PGA Tour told Sky Sports.

"Based on discussions with staff at the Department of Justice, we chose to remove specific language from the Framework Agreement.

"While we believe the language is lawful, we also consider it unnecessary in the spirit of cooperation and because all parties are negotiating in good faith."

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan will return to work on Monday after illness with his main priority to work on the deal that will set-up a new for-profit company that will run the commercial and rights arms of the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf.

With just the bare bones of a deal though, it could still be on shaky ground as it is examined by both the US Justice Department and the US Senate - which released documents about suggested proposals for the future of golf.

One of which had Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy as LIV Golf captains - a suggestion the Northern Irishman responded to by saying he'd rather retire.

There's likely to be many other sticking points going forward for the two parties as they look to agree on a deal before the December 31 deadline set out in the initial agreement - although the two can agree to an extension.

The names of many of the game’s greatest ever players are inscribed on the famous Claret Jug – the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Severiano Ballesteros, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Tom Watson, Sir Nick Faldo, Ernie Els and Rory McIlroy among them. 

However, even some of best players ever to have picked up a golf club have suffered heartbreak at The Open.

Here, we take a look at some of the big names missing from the game's most famous piece of silverware.

Bernhard Langer

The German was a prolific winner on the old European Tour, winning a staggering 42 times, but he didn’t quite get the job done at The Open.

In 1981, he finished four shots adrift of Bill Rogers. Three years later, at St Andrews, it was the late, great Seve who prevailed, with Langer, the Spaniard’s playing partner, finishing two shots back.

Tee to green, Langer was arguably the better player, but his putter went cold at the most critical times.

A year later, at Royal St George’s, Langer’s putt grazed the lip on the 72nd hole but failed to drop. He finished two shots adrift of Sandy Lyle.

Colin Montgomerie

‘Monty’ is one of the best players never to win a Major Championship – but how close he came at The Open.

St Andrews would have erupted in 2005 had the Scot got the better of Woods, a scenario that was very much on the cards going into the back nine on Sunday, with the Scot just one shot back.

Montgomerie's 6-iron on the 11th went long, however, and he made an untimely bogey.

After Woods birdied 12, the home favorite just couldn’t find the magic to make a final challenge.

Sergio Garcia

For a long time, the Spaniard seemed destined to finish his career without a Major title, but he got that monkey off his back by winning the Masters in 2017.

He probably should have at least one Open title on his CV, too. In 2007, Padraig Harrington started the final round six strokes behind Garcia, who had led throughout following an opening round of 65.

Garcia stumbled on Carnoustie's back nine but still arrived on the final hole needing a par for the win; he made bogey, and then had to watch Harrington lift the trophy that he must have thought was his.

Garcia came close in 2014, too, making a charge at Royal Liverpool on the final day, only to come up two shots short of McIlroy. 

Byron Nelson

Nelson, a winner of five Major Championships, may well have claimed a Claret Jug had me made the trip across the pond more than once.

However, back in the 1930s and 1940s, the tournament’s purse wasn’t quite so enticing.

The prolific champion did have a stab at Carnoustie in 1937, but he finished a distant six shots back of Henry Cotton, giving himself too much to do with an opening round of 75.

Raymond Floyd

The American won three of the big four – the Masters (1976), the PGA Championship (1969 and 1982) and the US Open (1986). He also won 22 times on the PGA Tour.

However, The Open was the one Major Championship that eluded the man from North Carolina, with his best effort a tie for second in 1978, when he finished two shots behind Nicklaus. 

Vijay Singh

The Fijian enjoyed lengthy spells as the World No.1 and racked up an impressive 34 PGA Tour titles over the course of a stellar career.

A three-time Major winner, Singh came close to adding an Open Championship to his long list of titles, only to pipped by Ben Curtis by a single stroke at Royal St George’s in 2003.

Ian Woosnam

Former World No.1 'Woosie' was a popular winner of the Masters in 1991, and he amassed a total of 29 wins on the European Tour.

The Welshman came close to winning The Open on two occasions, too, first in 1986, when he finished tied third, and then in 2001, when he declared a two-shot penalty after his caddie discovered that he had been carrying 15 clubs. 

Fred Couples

Fan favorite Fred Couples won the Masters in 1992, although that was the former World No.1's only Major Championship title.

The American had a best finish of second at the PGA Championship and tied for third at the US Open - and he recorded third-place finishes at both the 1991 and 2005 Open Championships. 

At the former, only three shots separated Couples from the winner, Ian Baker-Finch, whilst Woods was a runaway winner at the latter.

World No.1 Scottie Scheffler admits he is concerned over the lack of detail about the proposed deal between golf's rival factions and worried at a recent high-level exit from the PGA Tour.

The PGA Tour and DP World Tour sent shockwaves through the game of golf last month by announcing a link up with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which has bankrolled LIV Golf and temped recent Major winners away like Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Cameron Smith.

But Scheffler insists he and fellow players are still in the dark even after two PGA Tour officials gave evidence to a Senate subcommittee in Washington DC on Tuesday, which lasted almost three hours.

"I just think that yesterday we didn't really learn a whole lot again," Scheffler reflected. "As a player on Tour, we still don't really have a lot of clarity as to what's going on and that's a bit worrisome.

"They keep saying it's a player-run organisation but we don't really have the information that we need. I watched part of yesterday and didn't learn anything.

"It's just a framework agreement right now so I don't know what that entails. We are not involved in any of the discussions. None of the players were involved in the original framework agreement."

Players Championship winner Scheffler, 27, feels the five players who sit on the PGA Tour's policy board - Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, Charley Hoffman, Webb Simpson and Peter Malnati -  should have been consulted before the original agreement was revealed.

"We are the ones that voted to put them in that position to be there and we want their voices to be heard, and that was really the only frustration with the original announcement is that none of those four or five guys were involved at all," he added.

"I love playing golf on the PGA Tour and I'm hoping that's going to exist for a long time. I felt like we were doing a good job before and then the agreement happened and now we have to navigate the whole deal.”

Scheffler admits he was concerned to see Randall Stephenson, a former AT&T executive and PGA Tour policy board member since 2012, resign from his position because he "had serious concerns” with the deal.

He said: “It was a little bit concerning that someone like him wouldn't be on board. 

“We have players reps and we have other people that are on that advisory board, and any time we lose one of those members is definitely a bit concerning. Those guys are put in position for a reason, and for anyone to leave is tough for us. We'll see what happens.”

Scheffler is in Scotland preparing for Thursday’s Genesis Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club outside Edinburgh. 

He is looking to pick up his third win of the season after dismissing criticism of his putting, which has left him ranked 112th on tour with the flat stick.

He said: "If you're hitting the ball as good as I have been in the past year, it's very difficult to make all the putts. 

"I don't really get to choose what kind of putts I have.  As my putting struggles have continued in your minds, I've got back to No. 1 in the world and I've had a bunch of top five finishes. 

“Granted, if I can make a few more putts, those would have been more wins.

“But at the end of the day I'm proud of tournaments this year and playing solid golf, and that's what I'm working on.”

It's the final Major of the year and the most historic in golf as the 151st Open Championship takes place at Royal Liverpool on July 20-23.

And it's also a final chance to see all of the best players in the world battling against each other as players from the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf will all compete at Hoylake.

There's still no Official World Golf Ranking points available for the 54-hole, shotgun start tournaments in the LIV Golf League, but with Major champions among their ranks and a host of top performers before the split in golf there will still be a decent group from LIV.

And the band of LIV contenders will be led of course by defending champion Cameron Smith, who joined Greg Norman's new tour shortly after lifting the Claret Jug at the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews last year.

Previous winners Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson and Louis Oosthuizen can play in the Open until they're 60, and they will be joined by fellow Major champions Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed.

Koepka has a fresh five-year exemption after winning this year's PGA Championship, while Johnson and DeChambeau are in the third year of their exemptions from winning the Masters and US Open respectively in 2020.

Reed is in the final year of his exemption from winning the 2018 Masters but could book a return next year with a top 10 finish at Hoylake.

Fellow LIV golfers Charl Schwartzel, Brandon Grace and Laurie Canter all secured their spot through Final Qualifying, taking the total number of LIV Golf players in the Open field to 16.

LIV Golfers who are in the Open Championship

• Abraham Ancer
• Brooks Koepka
• Bryson DeChambeau
• Cam Smith
• Dustin Johnson
• Henrik Stenson
• Joaquin Niemann
• Louis Oosthuzien
• Patrick Reed
• Phil Mickelson
• Richard Bland
• Talor Gooch
• Thomas Pieters
• Charl Schwartzel
• Brandon Grace
• Laurie Canter

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Butch Harmon has insisted that Rickie Fowler has got to be on the US Ryder Cup team after the American claimed his first victory on the PGA Tour in four years at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last weekend. 

The legendary golf coach, who has worked with some of the greatest players to grace the game, including Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, also claimed that Fowler's win 'meant more to him' than the other Majors some of his past students had won. 

After his sensational performance at the US Open, Fowler has continued his excellent vein of form, this time winning a three-man playoff to end what's been a difficult few seasons and his four-year winning drought. 

He carded a final round four-under par 68, that included a dramatic birdie on the final hole, to force his way into the playoff, where he would go on to defeat Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin to clinch his sixth win on the Tour. 

The resurgent American has certainly turned things around this season, with Fowler securing eight top ten finishes from 20 events and has shot right up the FedEx Cup standings to eighth place - a far cry from his performances in recent years. 

And in light of his excellent recent form, his coach, Harmon, believes he deserves a spot on Zach Johnson's Ryder Cup team later this year. 

"No doubt about it," Harmon said to the Sky Sports Golf Podcast. "He has got to be on that team.

"No.1, everyone loves Rickie [Fowler] and No.2, you can pair him with anybody. Rickie is a perfect guy for the Ryder Cup and he will be in that team."

Fowler also admitted that gaining a berth in the tournament in Rome this Fall was one of his ambitions for the season.

“One of the end goals was to be a part of the Ryder Cup team and that's still what we're focusing on right now," he said following his win in Detroit. "I’ve been a part of a handful and they're very special weeks, so that's where I have kind of my eyes.”

He hasn't featured in the biennial tournament since 2018, but is currently 12th in the qualification places following his triumph at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. 

Prior to this weekend, Fowler's last win on the PGA Tour came at the Waste Management Phoenix Open back in 2019. 

But soon after that, he found himself battling with his form, dropping to 173rd in the Official World Golf Rankings last August, missing nine cuts, while making one top ten finish in 2022. 

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It prompted him to seek the advice of Harmon at the end of last year, who linked up with the American after having previously coached him for several years before parting ways in 2019. 

"This win for Rickie [Fowler] probably means more to me personally than all the Majors that I have had guys win that I've worked with," Harmon told Sky Sports. 

"From where he was, how down low he was not only in self-esteem but his game and his life, for him to come back the way he has come back means a lot to me. I'm so happy for him and his family.

"Rickie Fowler is good for the game of golf and he's back folks, so get ready to really enjoy it."

And during his post round press conference on Sunday, the world No.23 lumped praise on his coach saying he is "The best coach out there. It's more just the communication and talking and going back and him looking at videos, or what he sees on TV or stuff he can sees on TV or on the Tour app or whatever it may be.

"He does a great job with players, taking what they have and ultimately I think making them the best that they can be with who they are, how they swing and making what they do well that much better and bring up the weaknesses."

Rory McIlroy has broken yet another milestone in his career, joining a club of illustrious names to become only the fifth golfer to earn 5,000 Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points during his career.

The Northern Irishman finished one shot back from Wyndham Clark at last month's US Open, adding another 60 points to his impressive haul. 

Following that, he earned another 11 points after securing a T7 finish at the Travelers Championship at the end of June. 

It means for the season, the former US Open Champion will have clocked up 196.16 points, despite losing 169.97, keeping his current tally at 423.89. 

But while his place in the rankings will not change, with the 34-year-old staying in third place 185 points behind Scottie Scheffler and 37 points behind Jon Rahm, he'll now join Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh as one of five players to have amassed more than 5,000 ranking points in his career.

Since turning professional, the four-time Major winner has spent 122 weeks at the top of the OWGR, putting him fourth in the list of golfers who have occupied World No.1 for the longest period of time. 

When asked if he had a goal in mind for being World No.1, the 33-year-old’s mischievous response was “332” adding: “I don’t know if I can, but that’s a number in my head.”

This year, while McIlroy has experienced a few ups and downs, notably missing the cut at the Masters, while also just narrowly falling short of his fifth Major at the Los Angeles Country Club. 

But the FedEx Cup Champion seems to be riding a wave of form right now, having finished inside the top ten in his last five starts on the PGA Tour.

All eyes will now turn to the Open Championship later this July, with McIlroy determined to undo his Major drought and add more pressure on Rahm and Scheffler at the top of the rankings. 

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"The last real two chances I've had at majors, I feel like have been pretty similar performances," he said after placing second at the US Open. "I played the way I wanted to play. There were just a couple of shots, two or three shots over the course of the round, that I'd like to have back."

"I'm getting closer," he aded. "The more I keep putting myself in these positions, sooner or later it's going to happen for me."

"I would go through 100 Sundays like this to get my hands on another major championship.

"When I do finally win this next major, it's going to be really, really sweet."

Players to have amassed 5,000 Official Golf World Rankings Points 

• Tiger Woods
• Phil Mickelson
• Ernie Els 
• Vijay Singh
• Rory McIlroy

LIV Golf's Martin Kaymer says there has been no shortage of interest in players wishing to join the circuit since the Saudi Public Investment Fund that finances it agreed a merger with the PGA Tour DP World Tour.

Ever since the announcement of the deal, there have been questions as to whether LIV Golf has a future, with six-time Major winner Nick Faldo thinking its days are numbered and Jimmy Dunne, who helped broker the deal, claiming that PGA Tour CEO Jay Monahan can disband the circuit if he wants to.

Those suggestions have been refuted in some quarters, including from Phil Mickelson, while it’s been business as usual for LIV Golf in the build-up to this week’s tournament at Valderrama in Spain, with one of its teams, Majesticks GC, announcing a sponsorship deal earlier in the month.

While the golf world awaits clarity on how the future of the elite game will play out, Kaymer says there was interest from DP World Tour players keen on joining the circuit from the day of the announcement.

“That evening I got six messages from six different players on the DP World Tour wondering if there was a future for them on LIV,” Kaymer said. “I think you will be surprised how many players want to play all different Tours.”

Kaymer doesn’t think that would be a bad outcome, either, adding: “This will be great for the game of golf if we have all opportunities, PGA Tour, DP World Tour can play LIV events. I don’t know how that will work and don’t know all the details and vice versa because, ultimately, I think this is what the golf fans want and want it to happen.”

Several players have already committed their futures to LIV Golf, and may yet be able to return to the PGA Tour should they wish, depending on how the merger shakes out.

Despite that, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson have said they have no plans to return to the PGA Tour, and neither does Mickelson, who described the player experience on LIV Golf as “incredible.” 

Sergio Garcia is another who has expressed reservations on rejoining the Tour, while Kaymer - along with his Cleeks GC teammate Graeme McDowell - also appears settled.

“I think you can only speak for yourself, and me and G-Mac are very happy where we are and we’re very happy when that merger came out because I think it was proof that we definitely made the right decision,” Kaymer said.

“Some people said it was risky and you don’t know what you are going to get into, but these days, in life, you just never know and you’ve got to go by trust and, after all, with the way things are shaping, it’s pretty good.”

Phil Mickelson is optimistic the game is heading for a bright future following golf's merger, and that includes LIV Golf. 

The 53-year-old is in Spain preparing to play in this week’s LIV Golf tournament at Valderrama, and he explained the move to unite the forces at the top of the game had happened sooner than he anticipated. He said: “I would say I felt appreciation that we got to this point where we're working together because it makes me confident with where the game of golf is headed in the future.

"We felt like it was going to be about two years roughly before we got to that point. It took a year and a half or six months quicker than I thought it would be. Going forward, we're all very optimistic about where the game of golf, professional golf specifically, is headed.”

Even before LIV Golf was launched, Mickelson claimed he was using it as “leverage” to provoke the PGA Tour to do what’s right by its players. Amid the LIV Golf threat, the PGA Tour introduced designated events that offer significantly higher purses than had been typical. Mickelson explained that had received appreciation. 

He continued: “A lot of the changes that have been made because of LIV were all very appreciative, both on the LIV Tour as well as the PGA Tour, and we're happy for the guys out there that they're having some positive changes there, as well.”

Mickelson also insisted the merger had already been anticipated by LIV Golf officials. “I think that right now we have basically an agreement to have an agreement," he explained. "Everything over the last couple of years that we've been told by Greg [Norman] and everybody on LIV has come to fruition, so we have a lot of confidence in what they have been saying to us because everything has been happening.

"We don't really feel the need to publicly posture our position. There's really no need for us to talk about things publicly but to just let it play out.”

While Mickelson was coy on what LIV Golf's future will look like, he refuted suggestions, including from six-time Major winner Sir Nick Faldo, that it will disappear. He continued: “I think actions are a little bit stronger than words. I think if you just look at what LIV is doing and what we're doing, I think that is more of a statement.”

'The Player Experience Here Is Incredible'

The deal outlined the possibility of LIV Golf players returning to the PGA Tour should they want to. 

However, already Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson have said they have no plans to return, while Sergio Garcia also seems reluctant to take on more than a limited schedule if he returns. 

Mickelson is the latest player who seems unsure if a return is for him. He said: “Rather than saying yes or no, I know that from a player experience, all of the difficulties and challenges and things that take a lot of excessive energy and output throughout the week have been fixed at LIV. 

"So the player experience here is incredible. I just can't envision a better scenario for me as a player than playing out here on LIV.”