Phil Mickelson decides to take the high road with Rory McIlroy’s recent LIV comments

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[PHOTO: Harry How]

We have no idea what Phil Mickelson’s New Year’s resolutions are, or if he even made any at all. But if one of them happened to be “taking the high road”, Lefty is off to a flying start in 2024.

On Wednesday, Rory McIlroy, one of Mickelson’s biggest critics in the PGA Tour–LIV Golf saga, went on the Stick to Football podcast and admitted he may have been too judgemental of LIV defectors. He also mentioned that LIV has “exposed the flaws” of the PGA Tour, adding that he couldn’t believe that the tour has done so well for so long.

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Given everything McIlroy has said over the past few years regarding LIV, this was a shocking change-up. It’s also an eerily similar stance to the one Mickelson originally took at the very beginning and was villainised for.

You would think, then, that Mickelson would pounce on this prime opportunity to dump on McIlroy, who famously shouted “F— you, Phil!” in an episode of Netflix’s “Full Swing”. Quite the contrary:

“This quote and the many others made today by Rory probably weren’t easy to say,” Mickelson wrote, adding, “let’s not use this as an opportunity to pile on. Rather, It’s time for me and others to let go of our hostilities and work towards a positive future. Rahm’s signing is turning into a bridge to bring both sides together, as evidenced by the many comments today and a month ago about changing the rules for the Ryder Cup so Jon and others can play, so let’s use it as such.

“Until an agreement is reached it will be business as usual for both sides, but hopefully without the needless disdain.”

Between Rahm’s jump, McIlroy walking back some of his criticisms and Mickelson not playing the “I was right all along” card, it sure does feel like we’re inching closer and closer to everybody singing Kumbaya together, hand in hand.