Mickelson: Tour's "Obnoxious greed that has really opened the door for opportunities elsewhere."

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Phil Mickelson unleashed a torrent of criticisms at the PGA Tour from the Saudi International. (I covered the major championship-related claims at The Quad.)

After a fairly benign press conference session, Mickelson told GolfDigest.com’s John Huggan that he’s been forced to consider various business opportunities because of the Tour’s “obnoxious greed.”

The us vs. them stance, even though players appear to have more control and influence over the PGA Tour’s operation, may not resonate very well with fans. Mickelson is aware of this danger but forged ahead with some incendiary comments.

“It’s not public knowledge, all that goes on,” Mickelson said. “But the players don’t have access to their own media. If the tour wanted to end any threat [from Saudi or anywhere else], they could just hand back the media rights to the players. But they would rather throw $25 million here and $40 million there than give back the roughly $20 billion in digital assets they control. Or give up access to the $50-plus million they make every year on their own media channel.

“There are many issues, but that is one of the biggest,” he continued. “For me personally, it’s not enough that they are sitting on hundreds of millions of digital moments. They also have access to my shots, access I do not have. They also charge companies to use shots I have hit. And when I did ‘The Match’—there have been five of them—the tour forced me to pay them $1 million each time. For my own media rights. That type of greed is, to me, beyond obnoxious.”

Two parts to this stand out. The rights to “my shots” would seem motivated by a desire to cash in on NFT’s. More concerning is the claim of personally paying $1 million each time he’s played The Match and the “beyond obnoxious” green of the Tour.

I reached out to the PGA Tour and will add any comment they might have on Mickelson’s claim.

It is well known that the organizers of such silly season events pay a fee to cover everything that comes with official Tour sanctioning of the event and support services like rules, scoring and promotion.

Mickelson also used an odd example with Huggan to support his case: the famous 2010 Masters shot off the pine needles.

There are other examples of what Mickelson clearly sees as golf’s equivalent of “intellectual property.” During the 2010 Masters, he famously hit a shot from the pine straw to the 13th green at Augusta National. Later, someone wanted to use seven seconds of that clip. They had to pay $30,000 per second every time it aired. The total cost was $3.5 million, which was three times what Mickelson earned for winning the tournament. (Editor's Note: Although the Masters counts as an official PGA Tour event, the event and its media are not owned by the PGA Tour.)

While that’s a hefty sum, it’s also a dubious claim to suggest this is part of his beef with the PGA Tour and undercuts any case he might have.

One of the more interesting points made to Huggan relates to the bizarre refusal of players to wear microphones and provide inside-the-ropes access. Mickelson claims there may be a business reason.

“Why hasn’t golf had cameras and microphones on players and caddies?” he asked. “Because the player would not benefit, only the tour [so players resist wearing them]. Take this Netflix project that is underway. None of the players are getting paid. But the tour is getting paid a lot of money. As is Augusta National. As is the USGA. But if the players had their own channel, maybe they put up their own content and we start to see golf presented a bit more intimately.

“If I had access to my own channel and access to my own media, I would have a camera and microphone on my hat,” he went on. “And on my [caddie] brother’s hat. And on my golf bag with a 360 view. And I would bring the viewers in. They would see and hear what is going on. But none of that happens [currently] because why would any player do that? To make more millions for the tour? They already make enough. The tour only understands leverage. And now the players are getting some of that. So things are changing and will continue to change. I just hope the leverage doesn’t go away. If it does, we’ll be back to the status quo.”

The “leverage” would be the Saudis who have no business model. As for fans? Hard to say how many would feel for his plight. It sounds like Mickelson isn’t worried what they think. For a fan favorite who has cashed in on his likability, that’s a risky game to play.

American Express To Keep The Desert Tradition Going Through 2028

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Larry Bohannan reports the stellar news for what was once a staple of the PGA Tour schedule which has seen a revolving door of sponsors and hosts. But armed with a blue chip sponsor, The American Express is enjoying its strongest field in years.

The story says Phil Mickelson’s foundation will continue to benefit from tournament proceeds through 2024, but there is no mention of Mickelson’s role as host (announced in 2019) and he did not give a pre-tournament press conference.

American Express Extends Sponsorship of The American Express through 2028

Title Sponsor, American Express, helps TOUR continue sixty-two-year tradition in the Coachella Valley  

LA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA — The PGA TOUR today announced American Express will continue its role as title sponsor of The American Express in La Quinta, California, through 2028. The annual tournament, which features a unique pro-am format, takes place January 20-23 at PGA WEST Stadium, PGA WEST Nicklaus and La Quinta Country Club.

“Giving back to the community while celebrating the passions of our customers is at the center of what we do at American Express,” said Stephen J. Squeri, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American Express. “We’ve seen the positive impact this tournament has on golf fans and the local community in the Coachella Valley. We’re honored to continue this legacy by extending our role as title sponsor and growing the total charitable funds raised to support so many outstanding local organizations focused on helping small businesses, the health and wellness of the community, youth sports, education and more.”

Since its introduction in 1960, the tournament has generated approximately $63 million for numerous non-profit organizations in the Coachella Valley that enrich the lives of Valley residents. In just two short years, The American Express has since donated $2.1 million to Coachella Valley-based charity organizations and looks forward to continuing to make a significant impact within the local community for years to come.

“Extending our partnership with American Express secures the future of PGA TOUR golf and its impact in the Coachella Valley for years to come,” said Jay Monahan, PGA TOUR Commissioner. “In the past two years alone, American Express has helped produce tremendous growth and awareness for this historic event, offering up a great field and a first-rate tournament experience. All this while generating significant charitable impact in the region.”

World No. 1 ranked player Jon Rahm, FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay and Phil Mickelson, a 45-time PGA TOUR winner and World Golf Hall of Fame member headline The American Express field. Si Woo Kim of South Korea, winner of The American Express last year by one stroke over eventual FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay, returns in 2022 to defend his title. All four rounds throughout the weekend will be carried live on Golf Channel and streamed on ESPN+.

PIP Pandemonium: Phil Declares Victory, Tour Says Not So Fast, Morikawa Posts Dog Photo In Late 10th Place Play

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As the (not secret any more) Player Impact Program hurtles toward its year one conclusion, the silly bonus pool is wrapping with a deservedly absurd finish.

Phil Mickelson declared PIP victory two days before the calendar ended the comical bonus pool. This, despite just one top 10 against the under 50’s this year—the 2021 PGA Championship—Mickelson apparently used four Champions Tour wins to accrue the magical number of Google searches, Meltwater mentions, MVP Index points, Nielsen scores and Q-rating strength to edge Tiger Woods for the $8 million first place prize.

The closest you’ll get to a PIP victory speech since it’s a private matter:

You have to give Phil credit with the late rush of Tweets and replies while playing to the angry bro mobs, a key demo for accumulating Meltwaters by stirring up some virus questions and replying to Elon Musk.

Oh, but not so fast says Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch:

Maybe Phil’s premature celebratory Tweet will ensure victory? Or will the Commissioner and his team of independent analysts who tabulate Player of the Year totals find a way to de-Meltwater Phil’s late run?

These are just the kind of ramifications one deals with when the subject is a cockamamie concoction created for all the wrong reasons. Robert Lusetich summed up the farce best here:

Imagine that, discriminating against the youth trying to grow the game. Sad.

Speaking of the next generation, dream-demo Open Championship winner and dignified user of social media Collin Morikawa reportedly will finish 11th. This means he misses out on last place’s $3 million.

But showing vision and wisdom beyond his 24 years, Morikawa made a last ditch effort with social media gold: celebrating his 11th place finish with humor (on Twitter), and birthday well wishes to his labradoodle. Sources say the indices give extra weight to dog posts—and then triple that for any doodle—so there may still be hope for young Morikawa to crack the top 10 once that independent firm digs into the numbers!

Not since Freddie Tait posed with his dog Nails has a golfer’s dog potentially played such a key role in the game.

And then there’s Jim Herman, coming home strong even as they’re breaking down the bunting, packing up the barricades and still making his valiant PIP plays:

What a time for the game!

Quadrilateral: Major(s) News & Notes, December 30th, 2021

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Phil Joins The #ManningCast And He Turns It Into An Inquisition

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I made the case not long ago that Phil Mickelson was a no-brainer for a golf version of the ManningCast, but after Monday’s appearance during the Rams-49ers game I’m not so sure.

Maybe he had not watched previous versions or maybe it was a little too much Coffee for Wellness instead of Black Magic cab, but instead of letting the Mannings ask him questions and drop a humblebrag for the PGA Championship behind him, Mickelson became an odd mix of Mike Wallace in his prime with the new hire by the district attorney looking to impress. The ManningCast’s first Spanish Inquisition!

Football fans loved it and he dropped a fun line about the apparent ManningCast curse, but to golf fans it sounded like a Prevent Offense. Was Phil worried Peyton might ask about how he lost out on the Schwab Cup race?

An Inconvenient Sunday: Wins By Saudi Golf League Potentials Kokrak And Mickelson

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As middle-aged executives work the Global Home phones to stop a disruptor golf league from messing with their bonus structrue—imagine a Jerry Lewis telethon with way too many men in Gingham and khaki—the task got tougher Sunday. That’s because two potential players who have been linked to taking a dictator’s “sovereign” money happened to win on the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions.

Jason Kokrak, Golf Saudi’s proud ambassador, recovered from Saturday’s back nine 41 to win the Houston Open and the privilege of posing with a furry “Astro” clad in the colors best associated with owner Jim Crane’s special brand of dishonest baseball. See, I resisted the urge to call them cheaters. Progress! But boy, for a game of integrity, golf sure has its share of shysters.

Anyhoo…over on the PGA Tour Champions, Phil Mickelson, who has recently blasted away at the PGA Tour’s business structure and could pocket a massive payday if he doesn’t mind mingling with Greg Norman, won for the fourth time in six geezer Tour starts as Bernhard Langer took his sixth Schwab Cup. The key differences between Mickelson and Langer? One captured a major this year and seems primed to bolt from the PGA Tour while wearing his sunglasses to trophy ceremonies. The other is just a freak at age 64.

Houston’s final round highlights. Though they might vanish from The Tube if Kokrak takes the SGL money…

Sportico Estimates Highest Paid Athletes Of All Time: Tiger, Arnold, Jack In The Top 4

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Based on inflation adjusted earnings and some guestimating about endorsement income, Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus landed in the top 4 of Sportico’s list of highest paid athletes of all time.

Phil Mickelson landed 11th and Greg Norman 15th. Not bad for a niche sport.

Quadrilateral: Major(s) News And Notes, October 14th, 2021

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I had to leave a few lesser notes on the cutting room floor but there’s always next week! In the meantime, we have plenty to chew on with the 46-inch Local Rule reactions ensuring widespread adoption in 2022's majors. But Phil doesn't agree and I speculate as to why.

Plus, a cow pasture wants the '31 Ryder Cup, Masters job offerings and a whole bunch of good reads both on golf and not

This would already have landed in your inbox if you signed up. And of course, if you have and a paid subscriber you can comment and read all past issues.

Gary Williams In Coversation With Phil Mickelson On The Ryder Cup, Course Setup, Future Golf Leagues

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Longtime Golf Channel host Gary Williams has launched a new chat pod/YouTube show with a strong “get” in Phil Mickelson. The pod can be obtained through your favorite podcast app.

There’s lots of great stuff here on course setup, the Ryder Cup, his career, upstart leagues and more. I’ll dig in later on a few of Phil’s remarks but wanted to share this and wish Gary the best with his new venture!

Phil Worried About Losing An Inch-And-A-Half Off His (Driver) Shaft

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It’s unclear what set off Phil Mickelson but presumably he’s been informed of possible rule changes involving the length of drivers. And he’s not happy with what he’s hearing:

I’m not sure this is the vindication he was looking for, but Mickelson received this endorsement from Keegan Bradley:

Sad to watch is correct.

Sad that at a time golf is thriving without any sign that an improvement in technology can be attributed to the growth, at a time players are posting absurd scores at the BMW, at a time Mickelson is struggling to make a Ryder Cup team in the year he won the PGA, and at a time his preferred manufacturer’s stock length is under than the possible length in question, thus dispelling the whole injury arguments, this was not his best-timed attack of the USGA.

But there is a positive! Check out the replies and how many people are pushing back at the idea of “hitting bombs” as the soul of the game. Oh there are still plenty of tools looking for his attention and clueless about the topic, but far fewer than we might have seen a few years ago.

The USGA has not commented.

If you need more context on Mickelson’s driver length concerns dating to last fall, Kyle Porter has a summary here.

Quadrilateral News And Notes: Captain Stricker Has Bigger Concerns Than A Phil Mickelson Selection

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Mickelson Generates Discussion About The Role Of Golf Media

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Last week’s Phil Mickelson-driven backlash toward “golf media” lit up Twitter but seemed a tad misplaced given that the story in question…

(A) was written by a Detroit News court reporter,

(B) was buried behind a paywall that only Detroit News subscribers could enjoy and therefore would have been largely unnoticed if not for Mickelson keeping it going by threatening to not return to Detroit.

(C) was a two-decade old unpaid wager that was not known about by most folks on the planet but sounds increasingly newsworthy given Mickelson’s inability to let the story go and the PGA Tour’s gambling push,

(D) that Mickelson was so willing to essentially say the role of journalists is to serve as a sort of in-house Chamber of Commerce/protective force/filter for players.

So it was refreshing to read Eamon Lynch’s Golfweek column replied to by Mickeson, who reiterated his stance on Twitter. Lynch writes:

Mickelson has every right to object to coverage he considers unfair, but underlying his response is a troubling expectation that media must function as cheerleaders when the Tour comes to town, and that failure to do so—by writing unflattering stories about him, for example—hurts the event and its charitable beneficiaries. Conflating his embarrassment with damage to the Rocket Mortgage Classic is preposterous, and accusing a reporter of deliberately hurting citizens in a deprived city by denying them the pleasure of his presence is bush league nonsense.

By Friday, Mickelson was gently backpedaling on his threatened boycott, pointing to a fan’s online petition promising 50,000 signatories imploring him to change his mind. “The people here were so nice that I’ll make a deal with them,” he said. “If he gets 50,000 and all of those 50,000 agree to do one random act of kindness for another member of the community, I’m in.”

Thus can individual churlishness be rebranded as communal charity.

(The petition has received 10,591 signatures as of this posting.)

Mickelson replied to the Lynch column:

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Mickelson later added this suggestion the media look at “their own”, though I can safely say few golf media members placed half-million wagers with the cast of the Sopranos.

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Lynch concludes by summing up the crux of the problem: “media that applaud and help sling product are good, media that pose awkward questions are bad. It’s the same binary equation beloved by bullshitters the world over. Not just in golf. And not just in sport.”

The issue of players viewing golf writers as a subversive force out to bring them down started with Tiger Woods following his 2009 scandal. Even though late night talk show comedians roasted Woods as golf publications avoided the story for days (and only reported salacious stuff first revealed in non-golf publications), Tiger retained a hostility toward golf press over the coverage. Yet he returned to those same late night shows to plug products and laugh it up with people who did far more to embarrass him than any golf writer.

For me, the most telling sign of trouble came a few years ago when I learned some players referred to golf writer Tim Rosaforte as “TMZ”. The implication being, he writes gossip and sleaze. The recent Memorial Tournament honoree and recipient of the PGA of America Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism.

This, even though Rosaforte diligently reported stories shared by families, agents and “teams” that enhanced player images. While he did report the less positive stories, the overriding majority of his reporting was helpful to the players. He told those tales in Golf World or on Golf Channel when people still watched the surrounding shows and they carried real influence. The “teams” often wanted to get their player’s story out through Tim and his audience heard reasons to root for golfers.

I sat next to Rosaforte several times in press centers, listening to him get every detail about Louis Oosthuizen’s love of tractors or some players’ ability to bench press some imaginary number, or a light story of barista butchering a player’s name and it helping the drone shoot 65. These stories got shared around the 19th hole and were the kind of details that delineated certain players and caused people to pay them endorsement money.

TMZ? Give me a break.

No one could dare try to pull off the “Insider” beat now. Relentless praise is not enough. Throw in the pandemic and some PGA Tour players are even more pleased to see decreased press access. Their “teams” are looking 24/7 for something to be aggrieved about and are on the lookout for the slightest non-positive remark to blow out of proportion, all to show their man they’ve got his back.

“How could they do this to the local charities, reporting you were late for your tee time? The media!”

This sad dance around a completely unfounded victimhood sensibility is why we’re subjected to American TV golf announcers piling on with an excessive compliments just minutes after having dared to say someone pulled a putt or looks like they’re nervous. And the announcers are making the right call. It takes just one player to decided he’s been wronged, even when it’s a player of no consequence whose disciplinary file is housed in the Global Home’s extra heavy-duty safe.

That Mickelson did not receive a public rebuttal from Commissioner Jay Monahan for dragging a sponsor into this was surprising. I’m fairly certain Tim Finchem or Deane Beman would not have tolerated Mickelson’s misunderstanding of media’s role or his regrettable decision to unfairly draw a sponsor and city into the the discussion. Especially when it’s a corporate partner as strong as Rocket Mortgage trying to revive Detroit and build the stop into a special event.

But times have changed. Players run the show. God forbid someone ask them why they layed-up on a par-5 or what they had for breakfast. Plenty of fans will agree with their victimhood stance. But just as many will find golfers to be soft, silly and out of touch with reality if they keep protesting over anything but a deep tissue shoulder massage.

Mickelson Open To Detroit Return If Petition Gets 50,000 Signatures

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The bizarre saga of Phil Mickelson and his protest of Detroit’s tour stop over a news story this week has taken another bizarre turn. This time Mickelson has softened his stance and is willing to consider a return in 2022 if a fan’s petition hits 50,000 signatures. He’s also vowing to match the charitable funds raised for The Children’s Foundation in Detroit.

While some might think this is a cynical PIP play—engagement!—it’s also an unprecedented twist but certainly a more manageable way out of an awkward over-reaction by the PGA Champion.

From ESPN.com’s Tom VanHaaren:

"People were awesome and they were so nice, so I would say this, I don't want it to be divisive," Mickelson said Friday. "I didn't like the way that felt with the reporter. The people here were so nice that I'll make a deal with them. There's a guy, Mike Sullivan, trying to raise 50,000 signatures. If he gets 50,000 and all of those 50,000 agree to do one random act of kindness for another member of the community, I'm in."

Here is the Change.org petition.

"Phil Mickelson, upset over report, Tweets he won't return to Rocket Mortgage Classic"

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Phil Mickelson won’t be returning to the Rocket Mortgage Classic over a Detroit News story about gambling with the help of goombahs in 2007.

Carlos Monarrez with more Mickelson explanation for why he’s holding a local news story against Detroit and Rocket Mortgage.

Mickelson, the reigning PGA champion, was highly critical of the article in the Detroit News. He said he did not feel appreciated for arranging his busy tournament schedule in order to play in Detroit, which marked his first tournament in Michigan since the 2008 PGA Championship at Oakland Hills.

“It was so much effort for me to be here and to have that type of unnecessary attack,” he said. “Not like I care. It happened liked twentysomething years ago. But it’s just the lack of appreciation. Yeah, I don’t see that happening. I don’t see me coming back. Not that I don’t love the people here. They have been great. But not with that type of thing happening.”

I’d like to say it’s somewhat amazing Phil is linking a local newspaper story with the good folks putting on a golf tournament. The laddie doth protest too much, methinks.

Phil Concerned For Detroit Tourism After Press Report On 2007 Wager

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The Detroit News’s Robert Snell reported on a previously undisclosed trial transcript revealing how a Grosse Point Park mob-connected bookie was unable to pay Phil Mickelson and friends their winnings.

The 2007 trial centered around “Dandy” Don DeSeranno and $500k in winnings he could not come up with. Get ready for the Goombah Classic:

According to the trial transcript, DeSeranno was questioned about Mickelson after receiving immunity from federal prosecutors and testified as a government witness in the 2007 racketeering trial of Jack Giacalone, a reputed organized crime leader in Metro Detroit. Giacalone's dad was the late, admitted mob captain Vito "Billy Jack" Giacalone, a suspect in the unsolved disappearance of Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa. And his uncle, the late mob captain Anthony "Tony Jack" Giacalone, was supposed to meet Hoffa the day the labor leader disappeared in 1975.

Mickelson did not know about DeSeranno’s background while placing sports bets with the bookie, the golfer’s lawyer, Glenn Cohen, told The News on Tuesday.

Mickelson’s attorney spoke at greater length to ESPN.com’s Bob Harig and admitted that his client does not deny the activity which sounds, well, illegal. Cohen was more concerned with the timing of the story:

"He didn't say anything [in the story] that wasn't true; I'm not complaining about that,'' Glenn Cohen, Mickelson's attorney, said in an interview with ESPN. "But why? Why are you going to embarrass Phil Mickelson when he's there to support your tournament and the charities it supports and the [PGA] Tour? Rocket Mortgage is a Detroit-based company. Phil has never played there before.

"I'm disappointed they would curiously pick this week to write an article about a bet that was made over 20 years ago and a jury trial that took place in 2007, where the guy who was convicted is dead and where the only purpose for this article is to embarrass Phil Mickelson.''

Mickelson replied to a frustrated fan on Twitter and is thinking of the greater good, or at least, greater Detroit tourism in light of “Rob” and his report.

It’s not clear how the Free-Press report might prevent people from coming to Detroit and helping any way they can. Unless it’s the news of one less bookmaker available to take half-million dollar wagers?