FILE -- This is a June 20, 2009 file photo showing Phil Mickelson giving the gallery a thumbs up during the second round of the U.S. Open Golf Championship at Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y. Mickelson is returning to the PGA Tour, deciding to play the Bridgestone Invitational next week, his first tournament since the U.S. Open. (AP Photo/Mike Groll, File)

SEC Suit Makes Mickelson Give Back $931,000 From Insider Info

Posted By: Tom Edringtonon: May 19, 2016In: PGA Tour NewsNo Comments

The term used by the SEC in a lawsuit against Phil Mickelson was “relief defendant.”

Don’t know if that’s like a “relief pitcher” but what happened is that Mickelson, through his attorney, has agreed to give back $931,000 in profits from some shady dealings with bookie Billy Walters.

The money came to Mickelson in 2012 as a result of a tip sent to him via text from Walters.

No criminal charges were filed against Mickelson but there were charges filed against Walters and former Dean Foods Chairman Thomas Davis.

Mickelson’s trade came in Dean Foods stock.

Davis has already struck a deal with the SEC and will squeal on Walters.

This whole mess for Mickelson was Lefty’s own fault. He owed Walters money and Walters gave him a means to pay the debt back with the insider trading.

Tom Edrington

Tom Edrington spent the first 10 years of his misguided youth as a sports writer for the Tampa Tribune. His career brought him face to face with many of sports greatest stars -- Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Muhammad Ali, Don Shula, countless Hall of Fame NFL stars, more PGA Tour players than he can count. In 1980 he was honored by the Golf Writers Association of America for writing the best news story that year, his coverage of Jack Nicklaus' U.S. Open victory at Baltusrol. Today, 36 years later, golf is still a great part of his life, thanks to competitive playing days and the wonderful people he has met on this fabulous journey.