Phil Mickelson makes fresh PGA Tour-LIV claim: "I know it's going to happen"

Phil Mickelson says he is expecting another mass exodus of PGA Tour players to LIV Golf. 

Speaking ahead of the $50m team championship at Trump National Doral in Miami, Lefty claims there is one stumbling block. 

And that would be the amount of spots available on the breakaway tour. 

"I know that's going to happen," Mickelson said in response to a question from Telegraph Sport's Jamie Corrigan. 

"When players look at LIV, they are wanting to be a part of it.

"Everybody here is happy and enjoying what we are doing and enjoying the team aspect of it and enjoying each other and the camaraderie and enjoying playing golf globally and all the benefits that come with playing this tour.

"So there's a lot of players that see that and want to be a part of it. The question is, you know, how many spots are available. There's a lot more players that want to come than there are spots." 

Mickelson said the ongoing talks between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf's backers to ratify the 6 June 'framework agreement' allows for players to make the switch. 

"I think it allows and kind of opens the door for that, yeah" he added. 

Mickelson and LIV were dealt a bitter blow last week when it was confirmed the rival league were denied Official World Golf Ranking accreditation. 

It has to be said the decision was not unexpected, despite PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and his European counterpart Keith Pelley recusing themselves from the vote. 

 

 

 

 

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The heads of the four majors denied LIV's request which was lodged last July. 

OWGR chairman Peter Dawson claimed the decision wasn't political. "We are not at war with them," he said. 

"LIV players are self-evidently good enough to be ranked. They're just not playing in a format where they can be ranked equitably with the other 24 tours and thousands of players trying to compete on them." 

Six-time major champion Mickelson claims the four majors championships are effectively conspiring with the PGA Tour. 

"There's a lot more going on behind the scenes as to the importance of us to the getting points to the PGA Tour," he said. 

He added: "I think that the majors need to protect their product, and there's probably other ways that they can do that by creating slots.

"If they want to make sure they have the best fields in golf, they could create vehicles for players on LIV to play in majors where they don't have to use the OWGR, which would undermine the TV contract and revenue of the PGA Tour if they gave points to LIV." 

Read more:

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• LIV Golf team championship prize money, payout info