To Play Or Not To Play? — That Is Phil Mickelson’s Question

Just 17 short days until the season’s second major championship and odds are more-than-good that a certain 15-time major champion is going to show up at Southern Hills.

Yes, everything’s a go for Tiger Woods but the lingering question swirls around the defending champion — Saudi League-loving Phil Mickelson.

There was no traditional visit by the defending champion to Southern Hills last month.  The PGA Of America typically brings in its champion for an organized press day to promote the championship.  It was obvious that wouldn’t happen, Mickelson had basically embroiled himself in the season’s biggest controversy and the 2021 champion at Kiawah island, who became the oldest player in history to win a major championship — had gone into hiding.

Mickelson was spotted last week at Rancho Santa Fe, sporting a beard and a few extra pounds around his mid-section.  And just when things perhaps started to cool off, excerpts from Alan Shipnuck’s upcoming book about Mickelson (Phil:  The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorized) Biography of Golf’s Most Colorful Superstar) brought to light that Mickelson suffered some $40 million in gambling losses over a four-year period.  And that’s just four years worth of losses, no telling what Mickelson’s “career losses” might be when it comes to his well-publicized gambling habit.

The $40 million was documented during the investigation of Vegas bookie/gambler/former Mickelson buddy Billy Walters, who shared insider information with Mickelson in regards to Dean Foods — a move that helped Mickelson pocket some illegal dough.

So with more and more dirt surfacing on Mickelson, the media is chomping at the bit to figure out when it might get a shot at good old Lefty his ownself.

What came out last week is that Mickelson has been speaking to one Seth Waugh, who just happens to be the CEO of the PGA Of America.  Waugh was on a golf podcast with former Golf Channel guy Gary Williams and spilled the beans.

“Yeah, we’ve talked about it a lot,” Waugh said on the podcast of his communications with Mickelson.  “And I hope what we can do is have that before, you know, the flag goes up, right?  So the idea is, if he does play, and if he’s able to and allowed to, if he will play, he would certainly have to face the media.  But I hope it’s Monday or Tuesday, and then once the flag goes up, it’s about the golf, right?  And that’s — what we’re trying to do is deliver a major championship, not a circus, right?  And so I would hope that he can avoid that, and everybody can avoid that. And we’re talking about golf shots instead of, you know, verbal gaffes, right, once we get going.”

Waugh hit the nail on the head when he used to term “circus” because that’s what could/would develop wherever Mickelson shows up next.  With the PGA win last year, he’s eligible for all the major championship for the next five years and he’s in The Masters for as long as he wants to play.

Waugh talked about Mickelson’s hesitation to basically, you know, face the music.

“But there’s certainly, I think, part of his thinking is am I ready to face that glare and have that conversation and have all the answers that everybody is going to be looking for,” Waugh said.  “And if I do it that week, am I then able to compete on a major championship venue under that kind of pressure, right, with everything going on. But we would do everything we could to make it happen either before our week or very early in the week.”

Waugh isn’t finished speaking with Lefty, at least that’s his belief.  “And I think, you know, we’ll continue to have conversations,” he said. “I’ve known Phil for 20-something years, and he’s a complicated guy with complicated thoughts and in a complicated situation. And so we’re all trying to figure out what’s best for him and frankly what’s best for the game and we’re going to keep having those conversations.”

Williams then asked the question on everyone’s mind:  Will there be “procedures in place in the event he does play, as far as him (Phil) meeting the media.”

To which Waugh responded:

“I’ve had a number of conversations with him before, you know, call it, last fall and since then and recently.  “I think he, you know, he is — you said it well, I think he’s trying to figure out when the right time for him is. I think the game is trying to figure out the right time for him, too. How long is long enough? And is he ready mentally and physically to do it?”

Is Phil ready?  Mentally?  Physically?  Emotionally?

Only Phil knows the answers and so far, he’s not talking.