Golf Book reveals how Tiger Woods had Phil Mickelson excluded from private dinner amid LIV Golf vs PGA Tour feud
An excerpt from Alan Shipnuck’s upcoming book, “LIV and Let Die,” reveals that Tiger Woods had Phil Mickelson excluded from a private dinner for Open Championship winners at the R&A clubhouse in 2022.
This incident occurred amid the rivalry between golfers associated with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league and those loyal to the PGA Tour.
“He talked to a handful of other [past champions] to get their blessing and then went to the R&A and told them, basically, no one wanted Phil there and it would make the night weird and awkward,” a man at the dinner said.
“Whose side were they going to take: Tiger’s or Phil’s? That’s an easy choice.”
Woods vs Mickelson
Woods reportedly decided to prevent Mickelson, who had joined LIV Golf, from attending the gathering. Mickelson revealed that the R&A advised him not to partake in past champions’ events during a tournament week.
“The R&A contacted me a couple weeks before and said, ‘Look, we don’t think it’s a great idea you go, but if you want to, you can,”’ Mickelson claimed at the time.
“I just didn’t want to make a big deal about it, so I said, ‘Fine.’ We both kind of agreed that it would be best if I didn’t.”
Subsequently, the golf landscape saw a major shift with the announcement of the LIV Golf and PGA Tour merger in June. This deal is currently undergoing regulatory scrutiny, with other potential buyers for the PGA Tour emerging, creating an uncertain situation.
