The hits keep coming for Phil Mickelson.
On Golf magazine’s Subpar podcast this week, Pat Perez unloaded on his fellow tour pro for involvement with the Saudi Arabian-backed Super Golf League. He also took a swing at Mickelson’s ham-handed apology, which was issued after Mickelson managed to malign two organizations – the PGA Tour and the oppressive Saudi Arabian regime – in an interview.
“His apology was such horseshit, in the fact that he thought he was trying to make it better for the players.” Perez told hosts Colt Knost, a former tour player, and Drew Stoltz. “He was in it for one reason. If anybody thinks he wasn’t in it for his own pocket, and his pocket only, is f—ing high. They are f—ing crazy.
“He was in it for himself. Why he went down two different avenues and basically buried himself on both, I can’t figure it out.”
Mickelson, 51 and a six-time major winner as well as a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, found himself in hot water after recent comments he made to author Alan Shipnuck, whose unauthorized biography on Mickelson comes out in May. “
“They’re scary motherf—– to get involved with,” Mickelson told the writer. “We know they killed [Washington Post columnist and U.S. resident Jamal] Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay.
Pat Perez slammed Phil Mickelson for his “horses–t” apology. Getty Images (2)“Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates. They’ve been able to get by with manipulative, coercive, strong-arm tactics because we, the players, had no recourse. As nice a guy as [PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan] comes across as, unless you have leverage, he won’t do what’s right.
“And the Saudi money has finally given us that leverage.”
Mickelson also told Golf Digest last month that the PGA Tour’s “greed” was “beyond obnoxious” and likened the organization to a “dictatorship.”
The fallout was swift. Sponsors KPMG, Amstel Light and Workday all severed ties with Mickelson. His longtime equipment sponsor, Callaway, meanwhile said that it’s pausing its relationship with the star.
Last week, Mickelson, the most notable player to be involved with the Super Golf League, which has been trying to lure players from the PGA Tour by offering huge sums of guaranteed money, posted a statement on social media apologizing for his remarks. He also claimed the comments were off the record, a charge which Shipnuck said was not true.
“I used words I sincerely regret,” Mickelson wrote. “It was reckless, I offended people, and I am deeply sorry for my choice of words.”
Rory McIlroy was also critical of Mickelson, though on Wednesday he softened his stance, saying that Mickelson deserves another chance.
