Tiger Woods offers Phil Mickelson route back to PGA Tour with LIV Golf player spot under threat
Phil Mickelson became the first high-profile star to sign with LIV Golf, but the six-time major champion’s contract expires soon with Tiger Woods suggesting a PGA Tour return may be possible
Tiger Woods offered an olive branch to LIV Golf stars like Phil Mickelson to return to the PGA Tour in the foreseeable future.
When LIV Golf first emerged as a potential PGA Tour competitor, Mickelson began an exodus of players and pledged allegiance to the for-profit Saudi-backed league ahead of its inaugural event in June 2022. Since then, won six major championships. It always exists in a colliding chain. However, his playing days seem to be coming to an end soon. According to Mickelson’s biographer Alan Shipnuk, the 53-year-old’s next contract with LIV Golf will likely be as a non-playing captain, as every starting team captain signs a four-year deal. If Mickelson stops playing when his contract expires, his time at LIV Golf will be cut short. In 20 events on the LIV circuit, Mickelson has two top-10 finishes, putting him on track to become one of the sport’s best players on the PGA Tour. Woods lined up alongside some of the PGA Tour’s biggest names for this week’s Genesis Invitational and refused to hold back when asked about a possible path back to the PGA Tour for players who missed out on or were disappointed by the LIV Golf. The door that leads back to the stars.
But Mickelson’s longtime rival and 15-time champion admitted the transition to the PGA Tour could be difficult. “We’re looking at different designs for the back roads,” Woods said. “We don’t have answers right now about what it will look like, how it will affect players who stay or who don’t, and how we can improve the product in the future. We are looking at completely different ideas and we don’t know what they will look like in the short term.
“We don’t know what it will look like in the long term. Trust me. There are daily, weekly emails and conversations about this and what this will look like on our upcoming tours.
Woods prepares to return to golf as the 82-time PGA Tour winner competes in the Genesis Invitational. The 48-year-old, who is also the tournament organizer, has not competed since the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas last December. Woods has been forced to play a limited schedule in recent years due to physical ailments, making just three tour appearances in 2023. He returned to the Masters after participating in the Genesis Invitational, but was unable to participate due to a wrist injury the hand. Woods had to take the next eight months off for rehabilitation before returning to the World Cup. His return to the Riviera next week marks a new chapter in Woods’ career as he continues his 27-year partnership with Nike Golf. Earlier this week, Woods announced the launch of his new brand, Sun Day Red (SDR), a nod to the color he wears on the final day of the tournament. He hopes the start of a new era will bring him luck as he seeks his first PGA Tour win since a horrific car crash in 2021.
