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Phil Mickelson issued an apology letter about his comments about Saudi Arabia and SGL.
Phil Mickelson
- Professional Golfer on PGA
- Three-time Masters champion
- Two PGA Championships
- One Open Championship
The Issue with the SGL
Mickelson made comments about the Super Golf League. The Saudi Arabian wealth fund provides for the SGL. He (and three other unnamed players) worked with the SGL. They even paid for attorneys to write the operating agreement. Moreover, Mickelson used the SGL as leverage to make changes to the PGA.
In an article by Alan Shipnuck about Mickelson and his involvement.
“He didn’t pretend to be excited about hitching his fortunes to Saudi Arabia,” he said. “Admitting the SGL was nothing more than what he called “sportswashing” by a brutally repressive regime.”
“We know they killed [Washington Post reporter and U.S. resident Jamal] Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights,” Shipnuck said “They execute people over there for being gay.”
He then alleged he is willing to set all of that aside in order to make a change to the PGA tour.
Later, Mickelson said his number one issue with the PGA is the dictatorship that it actually is and not a democracy.
The Turnaround
Michelson’s impact has worked; players were kept loyal to the tour through payments.
Equally important, he may be suspended from the PGA Tour.
In an article posted by Golf Digest, Joel Beall suggests Mickelson has possibly done enough to get suspended, if not banned.
The Mickelson Apology
He offered an apology on Tuesday. He said he didn’t know his comments were “on the record.” Still, he claimed his interests were in the right place.
This was his long apology on Twitter:
A Statement from Phil Mickelson pic.twitter.com/2saaXIxhpu
— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) February 22, 2022
