The future of LIV Golf players is a massive unknown after the Saudi Public Investment Fund withdrew funding for the tour.
CEO Scott O’Neil hopes to seek alternate funding for 2027 and beyond, but the tour has endured heavy losses in recent years, so that will be incredibly difficult. And with LIV Louisiana postponed, the ship appears to be sinking slowly.
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For the biggest names, like Bryson DeChambeau, it’s a matter of how, not if, they’d get back to the PGA Tour. Their star power would only benefit the tour if they returned. But it’s not so simple for everyone else.
Phil Mickelson is 55 and has burned every conceivable bridge with the PGA Tour since LIV’s formation, so would he be allowed to play on the Champions Tour? Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee shared his thoughts.
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Brandel Chamblee says if Phil Mickelson should be allowed back on the PGA Tour if LIV Golf folds
With LIV Golf’s future uncertain, speculation on its biggest name’s future has been rampant. Mickelson is one of the biggest unknowns, and Chamblee said that the PGA Tour isn’t going to let go of the way Mickelson has conducted himself quickly.
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Speaking on the Golf Channel, he said, “Perhaps [Mickelson] will have a road back there. It would be expensive and tedious, I would imagine.
“He openly recruited PGA Tour players to go to LIV while he was a PGA Tour player.
He went to Tour events to recruit players to go to LIV and was a big part of the lawsuit levied against the PGA Tour.
“By the way Bryson DeChambeau was sitting on that lawsuit all the way until it was dissolved, so these are not things people are going to easily forget about.”
Mickelson has only played once on LIV this season and missed The Masters due to a family health issue, so he likely wouldn’t be in any rush to get back to the PGA Tour anyway. But it’s hard to imagine a way back for him in the future unless he does some serious backtracking.
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The reason why Phil Mickelson is unlikely to make PGA Tour return
It seems impossible for Mickelson to make a PGA Tour return without some acknowledgment of wrongdoing. He actively attempted to harm the tour while playing on LIV, so he can’t just waltz back as if nothing happened.
It’s also incredibly hard to imagine Mickelson making a public apology and going back on his comments about the PGA Tour. It would be extremely out of character for him at this stage.
And they don’t need each other anymore. Mickelson is far beyond his prime and can no longer contribute much on the golf course, and his off-course demeanor is more likely to turn people away than attract them.
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Meanwhile Mickelson has his own YouTube channel and would likely be content playing the major championships while operating in the content creation sphere.
There would not be much demand from either party to negotiate a deal, so it’s far more likely that Mickelson retires than returns to the tour.
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