Phil Mickelson laments short game, mulls LIV’s future

If you needed another reminder of professional golf’s new chapter, on Wednesday Phil Mickelson joined a conference call previewing LIV Golf’s upcoming Illinois event and the first question of the call was about an upcoming YouTube challenge, Pros vs. Schmos, for which Mickelson will serve as host.

“Well, I’m very new to this, and YouTube isn’t really the world I grew up in,” Mickelson said. “I’m kind of learning a lot from Bryson, who’s really spearheaded a phenomenal campaign on YouTube and a great following, and I’m trying to learn as we go.”

“Bryson,” of course, refers to Bryson DeChambeau, whose summer has included winning the U.S. Open and cracking one million YouTube subscribers. Until recently Mickelson would only have considered one of those a target. But times have changed. Golf has changed. Mickelson has, too.

The discussion on Wednesday appeared to be focused on LIV’s upcoming individual championship, which will be held at a municipal course in Bolingbrook, around 30 miles southwest of Chicago, in mid-September.

However, with Mickelson participating and being open to conversation, the topic soon shifted to his role in the game and his perspectives on LIV’s future. “In his opinion, initiatives such as Pros vs. Schmos are a crucial part of the future.”

Mickelson stated that the initiative offers a valuable chance to connect with fans on a deeper level. Those interested in participating can send in videos, with two individuals being chosen to face off against Mickelson in a recorded event. Mickelson emphasized the importance of showcasing one’s personality and ability to handle pressure.

He expressed the desire to find contestants with the right characteristics to create an entertaining and enjoyable experience for viewers.

Mickelson expressed his enthusiasm for LIV’s team golf format, describing it as fun, different, and unique.

He mentioned that he had not experienced such a format since his college days over three decades ago, aside from occasional events like the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, which he found incredibly enjoyable. Mickelson also brushed off any worries about the potential division in the men’s professional game.

“I believe we are currently going through a period of disruption, but the outcome of this process will ultimately lead to a much better situation than before,” he stated.

He pointed out that YouTube will play a significant role in this transition, mentioning that the PGA Tour’s fan base has grown from 60 to 65, and LIV is focusing on a younger demographic.

LIV is still relatively new; the controversial startup is in the home stretch of its third season. It has had success attracting enthusiastic crowds at some of its events, although by other traditional metrics of success — broadcast TV ratings, for instance — LIV has made little progress. Still, Mickelson’s focus is on the league’s worldwide potential.

“The compensation that we’ve all received has been basically to give up 14 weeks of the year and commit, say, okay, wherever you tell us to go, we’re going to go. We’re going to go and compete, and that’s all throughout the world. So now when you are Hong Kong and you sign a deal to have LIV Golf come, you know who you’re getting. You know who’s playing there. Many of the best players in the world are traveling throughout and bringing professional golf throughout the world.”

Mickelson’s jump to LIV came with a dose of frustration with the PGA Tour. He expanded a bit on that, too, suggesting that during his time with the Tour he’d gone all in on helping it thrive.

“For 30-plus years I did everything I could to help build the PGA Tour brand, and I would be brought in to help close the deal with many CEOs when they were on the brink of potentially signing a deal, whether it was Bob Diamond at Barclays, it was Rick Waddell at Northern Trust, it was the guys at Shell, Marvin Odom. There were about seven to 10 times that I would come in and try to close the deal,” he said. “That was my way to help trying to build the PGA Tour at that time. I’m no longer part of the Tour.”

His focus now is on the HyFlyers franchise. He cited the long-term potential of the team model, including a decade from now when, he says, there will be a facility with world-class instruction and the ability to bring in players who wouldn’t otherwise have access to that level of training.

“My focus has changed to building something different. I tried for decades internally to do it with where I was at, and I feel like this is a better way to go to achieve the things that I want to achieve in the game.”

There are still things Mickelson wants to achieve on the course, too. While he said he expects to be involved with the HyFlyers “probably through the rest of my life,” he’s hoping for several more competitive years ahead.

“As far as my career, I’m realistic with where I’m at. I’m 54 and I’m putting in the work,” he said. “I also have a unique opportunity because of the fact that physically I’ve been able to withstand injuries and been able to be in better shape to do something at an age that nobody else has done, but I have not played at that level that I need to.”

It’s still been just three years since Mickelson’s PGA Championship triumph at Kiawah. And while he has shown flashes of strong play — he made the cut at two of four majors this year — he has just one top-20 finish on LIV all season.

“I see glimpses and my teammates see glimpses of me being where I expect to be able to compete at this level, but I’m also realistic with myself, and if I’m not able to I’ll step aside and let somebody come on in and take the HyFlyers to new levels,” he said.

“I’m in every major on the regular tour next year, and I’ll be in three of the four majors for the next six, seven years. I would love to compete and give myself a chance to win in those, and I also want to build this out and create a culture that is sustainable and that people strive to be a part of.

“I will be deeply involved with the HyFlyers for the foreseeable future, both as a player internally and externally. Even though I am realistic about my playing career, I see myself being connected to the team for the rest of my life.”

“Mickelson has consistently been recognized for his innovative and motivating short game. However, he recently stated that this aspect of golf has started to work against him.”

“According to statistics, my poor short game has been a major issue for me in recent years,” he explained. “I have consistently ranked last in scrambling on the tour.

This aspect of my game has always been strong, but in the past few years, it has held me back and affected my performance.

That is why I have been dedicating my attention to improving it.” Mickelson’s comments were particularly intriguing because they emphasized the fact that LIV is steadily progressing independently. He mentioned that the potential for a partnership with the PGA Tour is not something he is focused on. Mickelson stated that he is not involved in those discussions.

He also did not express any worries about the decrease in ratings on traditional television.

“I am aware that they are currently in the process of negotiating viewer relationships and partnerships for the upcoming year.

I am not involved in those discussions, so I unfortunately do not have any valuable information to provide,” he explained. “What I can say is that LIV Golf is not looking to follow the traditional model. We are focused on moving towards the future and avoiding getting stuck in old ways.”

“Mickelson, along with LIV, have already made a significant impact on the world of professional golf.

Although it is still uncertain what their next move will be and how it will further alter the sport.”