Players set to receive PGA Tour University benefits have a big decision to make regarding their professional futures.
Greg Norman has said that amateurs would be able to play in his Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series, but those in the top 15 of the PGA Tour University Ranking who are considering the rival golf entity may want to think otherwise.
The Tour has previously stated that it “reserves the right to make final determinations regarding a player’s eligibility in PGA Tour University,” and Wednesday Golfweek learned of two amendments, effective immediately.
Players who finish inside the top 15 of the final ranking will be ineligible for PGA Tour University, “and may not accept the performance benefits associated with a top-15 finish (in the current season and subsequent seasons) if such player competes in any professional golf tournament that is not ranked by the Official World Golf Ranking, excluding such events that have been previously approved by the PGA Tour.”
If a player is deemed ineligible or decides not to accept the benefits, they will be offered to the next eligible player in the final ranking. The first LIV Golf Invitational Series event is scheduled for next month, June 9-11, in London. As of now, the LIV Golf events do not offer OWGR points.
The PGA Tour University Ranking is based on results and level of competition. After the 2022 NCAA Men’s Golf National Championship ends June 1, the top‐15 players in the Class of 2022 will earn status on the Korn Ferry Tour or a PGA Tour international tour.
“I thought that was the perfect response,” said Will Zalatoris.
When the PGA Tour sent an email to its membership late Tuesday informing players that it had denied requests for a conflicting-event release to play in the LIV Golf Invitational Series inaugural event in London the same week as the Tour’s RBC Canadian Open, it was bound to become a topic of conversation at this week’s AT&T Byron Nelson.
“As a membership organization, we believe this decision is in the best interest of the PGA Tour and its players,” wrote Tyler Dennis, the Tour’s senior vice president and chief of operation.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler said he had a busy night at home, woke up early and played his pro am and hadn’t had much time to process the Tour’s decision, but at first glance supported the move.
“I kind of figured that was something that would happen,” he said in his pre-tournament news conference ahead of the AT&T Byron Nelson in his hometown of Dallas. “If you’re playing here on the PGA Tour, playing in something that could be a rival series to the PGA Tour, being a member of our Tour, it’s definitely not something where we want our membership to do because it’s going to harm the tournament that we have opposite that and that’s, I’m sure that’s why they were, why they did not release the players. Because if we have 15 guys go over there and play that hurts the RBC and the Canadian Open.”
Will Zalatoris reacts after making a putt on the ninth green during the final round of the 2022 Zurich Classic of New Orleans in Avondale, Louisiana. (Photo: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports)
Will Zalatoris, last year’s Rookie of the Year and a member of the Tour’s Player Advisory Council, has been involved in talks behind closed doors and fully backed the decision made by Commissioner Jay Monahan.
“I thought that was the perfect response,” Zalatoris said. “Because we’re in a great place, the Tour’s in the best spot it’s ever been, it’s only going to get better and why would we want to, why would we encourage our players to get releases for those events when essentially we have all these sponsors that are involved with the Tour and are only making it better and better. We’re trying to promote our best product possible and if you want to be a part of this where it’s only getting better and better, then you shouldn’t have it both ways. You have a choice, I mean, you really do. You can go if you’d like, but, you know, it is what it is.”
Justin Thomas has made it clear repeatedly that he’s interested in winning tournaments and creating a legacy in the game more than simply lining his bank account with more lucre.
“I would hope it would deter them from going over there,” he said. “I think Jay’s made it very clear from the start of what would happen or, you know, I think a lot of people are probably like, “I can’t believe you did this’ or, ‘Wow, you went through with it.’ But I mean this is what he said was going to happen all along. And, yeah, it’s one of those things to where he just doesn’t want the competing tour, the back and forth. You know, it’s like, Look, if you want to go, go. I mean there’s been plenty of guys that have been advocates of it and have just talked it up all the time and they have been guys behind the scenes that are saying, ‘I’m going, I’m doing this.’ And like my whole thing is, like just go then. Like stop going back and forth or like you say you’re going to do this, it’s like you can do — everybody’s entitled to do what they want, you know what I mean?
“Like if I wanted to go play that tour I could go play that tour. But I’m loyal to the PGA Tour and I’ve said that and I think there’s a lot of opportunity for me to, I mean, break records, make history, do a lot of things on the PGA Tour I want to do. And there could be people that want to make that change and it’s like you’re allowed to have that decision, you’re a human being and that’s just a part of it.”
Former European Ryder Cup Captain Paul McGinley, who played most of his career on the DP World Tour, served as both a captain, Ryder Cup teammate and fellow competitor with many of the European players linked with joining the LIV series (including Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia among others) brings a Euro-centric perspective. He expressed his opinion in an interview Wednesday with SiriusXM and joined Scheffler, Thomas and Zalatoris in supporting the established tours, which announced a strategic alliance in 2020 and have been rumored to be discussing a closer relationship to fend off the Saudi threat.
“I’m not gonna make this personal, they’re all friends of mine,” McGinley said. “But I’m very much a traditionalist, I’m very much aligned with the PGA, DP World Tour and the major championships indeed in terms of retaining and improving the status quo that we have at the moment, which is, you know, every week that we have both European and PGA Tours. So I want to enhance that. I think we have commonalities between the two tours trying to enhance that, uh, get somewhat of a world schedule going together. I know there’s some talks gone on behind the scenes in that regard of those two major tours coming together and working more collaboratively going forward.”
LIV Golf, which Tuesday announced a $2 billion infusion to support its launch, has been touting exorbitant purses and guaranteed money to lure players to enter its events.
“I can somewhat understand and see where the guys are coming from. I mean, the amount of money that’s been put on the table is an incredible amount of, huge amount of money. And so late in their careers an opportunity to make so much money,” McGinley said. “In a lot of ways I can understand the enticement that they’ve been offered and why they would be interested in it. But it’s not certainly, personally from my point of view, the side of the fence that I’m on.”
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, one pro who splits time on both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour told our Eamon Lynch the following: “I’m for sure weighing up the pros and cons of making a jump like this. What Jay [Monahan] decides is a hugely important part of that. Asking permission to play an international ‘tour’ event is something I’ve done with the PGA Tour since I first took my card many years ago. I understand the initial construct of this LIV tour was destructive in nature if the PGA Tour didn’t want part of it. Here in the short term, the events are being scheduled to be as non-conflicting as possible which is difficult to do. As a player who plays multiple tours, conflicting events is something we always deal with and I don’t see how the LIV tour is any different until it’s 48 guys locked in for 14 events a season.”
It had been expected that the PGA Tour would grant waivers for the LIV Golf Invitational event near London.
The PGA Tour has denied its members permission to play in the Saudi-funded golf tournament in London next month. The denials were sent to players who had sought permission late Tuesday afternoon.
It had been expected that the PGA Tour would grant waivers for the LIV Golf Invitational event near London because of a precedent allowing players limited releases for overseas events. (All members are required to seek a conflicting event release to compete in non-Tour events.)
However, it is thought the decision is based on a belief that the event in the U.K. is effectively part of a rival series. LIV Golf, which is funded by the Saudi Arabian regime, has announced a schedule of eight tournaments — the second of which is due to be played July 1-3 in Portland, Oregon — with plans for more to come.
A PGA Tour spokesperson declined to confirm any details regarding what was communicated to members on the releases.
Among those who have acknowledged applying for permission to play the tournament—which has a $25 million purse—are Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood. Players who defy the Tour and play without a green light would be subject to disciplinary action. It is unclear if any player will choose to do that, or if anyone will try to litigate the Tour’s right to influence his schedule.
One player, who spoke with Golfweek under the condition of anonymity, said he has since been monitoring the reaction of PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.
“I’m for sure weighing up the pros and cons of making a jump like this. What Jay decides is a hugely important part of that. Asking permission to play an international ‘tour’ event is something I’ve done with the PGA Tour since I first took my card many years ago,” the player said. “I understand the initial construct of this LIV tour was destructive in nature if the PGA Tour didn’t want part of it. Here in the short term, the events are being scheduled to be as non-conflicting as possible which is difficult to do. As a player who plays multiple tours, conflicting events is something we always deal with and I don’t see how the LIV tour is any different until it’s 48 guys locked in for 14 events a season.”
Next Tuesday, May 17, is the deadline by which players must request waivers to compete in the second Saudi event, which will be held July 1-3 at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Portland, Oregon. PGA Tour policy does not permit releases to be granted for events played against its own schedule in North America, so no applications for that tournament were expected to be granted.
Ten events are scheduled for 2023, with more to come in 2024 and 2025.
The first year of the LIV Golf Invitational Series – the Greg Norman-led and Saudi Arabia-backed entity that plans to rival the PGA Tour – will feature an eight-event schedule in 2022 with plenty more to allegedly come in the next year years.
On Monday afternoon LIV Golf announced its 2023-2025 schedule, with 10 events planned for next year and 14 events slated for 2024 and 2025 in the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and North America. Official dates and locations were not announced.
“We have a long-term vision and we’re here to stay,” said Norman, the CEO and commissioner of LIV Golf, via a release. “We’re going to grow the game, give more opportunities to players, and create a more entertaining product for fans. We believe in adding new experiences and energy to golf, and that includes building out our future schedule in more global markets. We’re creating an entertaining product that will increase golf participation and attract new fans across a broader global footprint. We realize it won’t happen overnight, and we’re excited for the opportunities LIV Golf will add to the game as we continue to grow.”
According to the release, “Schedules will never compete with the Majors, international team events or heritage events so players will always be able to make their own choices about where to play.”
The new series was announced in March and will feature 54-hole, shotgun start tournaments with $255 million in prize purses. The first event for 2022 is slated for June 9–11 at the Centurion Golf Club in London.
Garcia can on occasion be amiable and funny, but even at 42, he is proof that age and maturity are mutually exclusive.
Somewhere deep in the bowels of the budget for LIV Golf, well below the lucrative prize funds and exorbitant gratuities to overlook the gratuitous, closer to the paltry media buys to induce velvety coverage, there should be a line item for diaper-changing facilities to be used by the increasingly infirm or dependably infantile who will occupy its locker rooms.
Take Sergio Garcia (“please,” quoth Henny Youngman). Garcia is not entirely a one-dimensional dipstick. He can on occasion be amiable and funny, but even at 42 he is proof that age and maturity are mutually exclusive. In Thursday’s first round of the Wells Fargo Championship, he demonstrated anew his tendency to process every inconvenience as an injustice.
After being informed—incorrectly, it later emerged—by a PGA Tour rules official that he had exhausted the time allotted to find his ball in a hazard, Garcia snapped. “I can’t wait to leave this tour,” he announced. “I can’t wait to get out of here.” He stomped around a while longer, then added: “A couple of more weeks, I don’t have to deal with you anymore.”
The luckless official must have felt like a bartender who denies service to a belligerent drunk only to hear that he’s taking his custom elsewhere.
The departure from the PGA Tour to which Garcia referred is assumed to mean his playing LIV Golf’s series of sportswashing tournaments financed by Saudi Arabia, which launches next month in the U.K. He didn’t confirm this himself—Garcia avoided media after his first and second rounds—but his agent acknowledged that he requested the required release from the PGA Tour to play the inaugural Saudi event near London.
Competing there doesn’t necessarily signal a break from the PGA Tour. Several members will go since the Tour long ago established a precedent allowing overseas money grabs. Playing the second Saudi event July 1-3 in Portland, Oregon, would be a different matter. Tour policy does not permit waivers for events held in the U.S. Members who defy that rule to play in Portland are explicitly choosing sides. Disciplinary action and protracted litigation would likely follow.
Garcia checks all of the traits common among players associated with the Saudi bid to hijack professional golf: best days are in the rearview, has accomplished all that seems likely in major championships, not playing well enough consistently to benefit from increased purses on the PGA Tour, not sufficiently well-liked to reap fan engagement bonuses, endowed with a stout sense of entitlement, and consumed with petty grievances (mostly imaginary).
Since he scissor-kicked his way to fame in 1999, Garcia has earned $54 million on the PGA Tour, but his career has been defined by petulance. To cite but a few instances: flinging his shoe into a gallery; spitting into a cup, leaving the loogey for those unfortunate groups behind him; flipping off fans (I’d forgive him that—Bethpage galleries were obnoxious); blaming bunker-rakers and unseen forces for his loss in the ’07 Open at Carnoustie; listlessly apologizing for a racially-charged crack about Tiger Woods; being DQ’d from the Saudi International in ’19 for intentionally damaging five greens by tomahawking his club.
Linger a moment on that last one: his conduct was once considered beyond the pale by the Saudis.
Garcia shares another attribute with his peers who are also heavy petting with the bonesaw enthusiasts: their absence from the PGA or DP World tours would scarcely be noticed. That’s the disconnect at the heart of the Saudi seduction. The sums offered by LIV Golf convince players they’re elite, but just entertaining the overture is acknowledgment that they’re not, that their ability to compete against the world’s best is greatly diminished, that they’ll trade a potential hall of fame berth for an assured spot in the hall of shame.
There might be a modicum more respect for honest players who admit to being motivated by money and untroubled by morality. Some, but not much. It’s still pertinent what players are willing to do for that cash, which is be stooges for the public relations agenda of a reprehensible regime. But in lieu of transparency we get execrable equivocations as they attempt to present greed as an act of public service.
In an interview with Jamie Weir of Sky Sports, Lee Westwood admitted the Saudis have issues—he almost said “problems” before catching himself—but insisted they are trying to improve. He didn’t itemize what he believes those issues are or offer evidence of the government’s progress, which would come as news to the human rights groups monitoring its abuses. Westwood went on to suggest that criticism directed toward the Kingdom stems in part from discomfort that the pace of change is too fast.
Whatever compensation scheme Westwood has negotiated, one hopes there’s a bonus for his willingness to debase himself in public by shoveling from that crock.
It’s preposterous to think the futures of the PGA or DP World tours would be impoverished by the loss to LIV Golf of Garcia and Westwood, or any of the others considering abetting Saudi sportswashing. It might even be considered a positive clearing of detritus. Whoever bolts in the coming weeks, it’s worth noting that both tours created the environment that spawned this situation—the DP World Tour by brazenly welcoming tin pot dictatorships to its schedule, and the PGA Tour by operating a nanny state that protects players’ public images from the consequences of their conduct, all in service of an Orwellian ‘These Guys Are Good’ mantra.
It took the Crown Prince to finally expose professional golf’s least admirable characters. Cynical fans might wish to applaud his willingness to take them off our hands.
“Just a couple more weeks until I don’t have to deal with you anymore.”
Sergio Garcia is a major champion with 11 wins on the PGA Tour, and has earned more than $54 million on the U.S. circuit.
But is his time on Tour possibly coming to an end?
After making the turn with a 1-under 34 in his opening round of the 2022 Wells Fargo Championship, Garcia blew his tee shot way left of the 10th fairway into a hazard. After several minutes of searching, he finally found his ball.
However, the rules official said he took too long.
The official said he started the timer once Garcia arrived at the general location of his golf ball, while the Spaniard argued it should have started once he crossed the river as he knew his ball was on the other side and he was just looking for a way to cross.
Despite his persistence, Garcia was forced to take a drop.
After waving his hand in disgust, he said under his breath, “I can’t wait to leave this tour.”
His rant would continue.
“Can’t wait to get outta here. … just a couple more weeks until I don’t have to deal with you anymore.”
Watch the full reaction below:
Sergio Garcia, frustrated with what he thought was the early start of the clock to look for a lost ball, seemingly telling a rules official…
What’s he leaving for? Well, the first event of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf International series is coming up, June 9-11 at Centurion Golf Club in London. On Wednesday, Lee Westwood confirmed he filed for a release to play in the tournament.
On April 25th, Bob Harig of SI.com reported that 15 of the world’s top 100 players have committed to play in London. Garcia currently ranks 47th, filling that criteria. “Due to player confidentiality agreements, the names of the players are not being released,” Harig’s report said.
We’ll have to wait and see if Garcia does in fact leave, but if his behavior at TPC Potomac is any indication, the 2017 Masters champ may be as good as gone.
The PGL is doubling down on its efforts to meet with the PGA Tour and recruit its players.
Back in February the Premier Golf League laid out its plan for a series of events that would partner with various tours, feature massive paydays and give ownership stakes to members of the league.
The PGL, a different entity from the Saudi Arabia-backed and Greg Norman-led LIV Golf Invitational Series that plans to rival the Tour, is doubling down on its efforts to meet with the PGA Tour and recruit its players.
The letter, obtained by Golfweek and dated for Thursday, May 5, and addressed to PGA Tour Voting Members says that professional golf is at a “historic crossroads.”
“The ‘International Series,’ funded and owned by LIV Golf Investments (LIV), represents an existential threat, not only to the PGA Tour’s dominance, but also its model. Change is not only inevitable, it is happening — and no amount of purse rejigging, head-burying, ban-threatening, alliance-making or ‘moving-on’ will derail it,” read the letter signed by World Golf Group Limited, which not-so-subtly calls out the PGA Tour and Jay Monahan for his comments that the Tour was “moving on” from rival leagues, as well as the threatening to ban players who play for different leagues.
“LIV’s superb format (based on our very own, original, PGL format) is capable of generating $10 billion-plus of equity value,” the letter continued. “Hence, LIV is prepared to spend $400 million-plus to demonstrate the brilliance of the model, across eight events.”
A Premier Golf League letter highlights the “historic crossroads” facing professional golf. (Letter obtained by Golfweek)
The letter goes on to lay out two options for PGA Tour players:
A) Own 50% of the PGL and make ~$20 million each ($2 million upfront), with a further ~$1 billion of value to be shared between members of the Korn Ferry and DP World Tours, or B) Do nothing and leave LIV to generate that value, while the two oldest tours contemplate a full merger that would serve neither membership
According to the Fire Pit Collective, McIlroy presented the proposal to the board and the plan was discussed among PAC members at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Players Championship.
“Their proposal has been studied and scrutinized by an independent company to test its viability,” said Kevin Kisner, whose term on the PAC ended in 2022. “The results were presented to all of us. After extensively studying the (PGL’s) finances and the proposal, the (consultants) likened it to having to perform from a financial standpoint of 19 Ryder Cups per year. Not feasible.”
The letter quotes a similar statement from Rory McIlroy and calls both players claims “bullshit,” citing how the consultants, Allen & Co., have never spoken to the PGL nor do they have access to the proper information “in order to produce an accurate valuation.”
It also includes a call to action that asks players to message PAC and Policy Board representatives while also tweeting, “As a member of the tour, I instruct you to obtain and publish an independent valuation of the PGL Proposals #playerpower #transparency,” further claiming that if 70 or more players do it, “it will happen.”
The letter ends: “You should not fear the wrath of (PGA Tour commissioner) Jay Monahan, he is not on the Policy Board and works for you. You should exercise your rights. Despite it being ‘your’ PGA Tour, you do not own it (nor will you own LIV or the Super Golf League). You could own half of the PGL.’’
Long story short, the ball is in the players’ hands, and they’ll soon have to decide where they wish to tee it up.
Reports also stated that two of the golfers are former World No. 1s and we’ve learned Lee Westwood is one of them. In talking with Sky Sports on Wednesday, Westwood said he put a release in “with the PGA Tour and the European Tour.” The European Tour changed its name to the DP World Tour at the start of the current season.
🗣️ "Formula One race there, Newcastle are owned by people from there, there's been boxing fights there, snooker and darts there…"
Lee Westwood speaks to Sky Sports after confirming he has asked for a release to play in the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series opener ⛳ pic.twitter.com/o900Z90BKf
When asked if putting in the release was something he had to “think long and hard about,” Westwood replied: “No. It’s an opportunity to play in a big tournament with some of the best players in the world, in England. I love playing in England in front of the home fans, so anytime there’s an opportunity to like that, I feel like I should take it.”
The opportunity also reportedly comes with the chance at big money.
“I’m an independent contractor. I work for myself. It’s a job and I have to do what’s right for me,” he said.
LIV Golf is planning on 54-hole events with $20 million purses, with the winner getting $4 million. There’s further money to be won, if all goes according to plan, with prizes for winning teams at these events. Appearance fees could also sweeten the pot.
During the Sky Sports interview, Westwood wasn’t asked about any of those specific numbers but he was asked if he had any issues with where the money is coming from.
“Well, we’ve played European Tour events in Saudi Arabia and I’ve had releases from the PGA Tour saying that I can go play in Saudi Arabia and it’s been no problem to them,” he said. “Formula 1 raced there. Newcastle’s owned by, partly by people from Saudi Arabia. There’s been fights there, boxing fights. I think there’s been snooker and darts there as well.
“Golf’s not the first sport to have links with Saudi Arabia but it seems to be coming under scrutiny than anywhere else. Whether you think that’s right or not is the individual’s opinion.
“Saudi Arabia knows they got issues. Lots of countries around the world has got issues. And I think they’re trying to improve. They’re trying to do it through sport, which a lot of countries do.”
Most of the names of those golfers who registered to play in the LIV Series have not been released. Phil Mickelson and Robert Garrigus are two who have been confirmed to have registered.
The second event for the LIV Golf series is scheduled for Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Portland, July 1-3. It’s set to be the first in the U.S. The deadline for PGA Tour members to apply for waivers to compete is May 17, however, PGA Tour rules do not allow releases for tournaments held in North America against its own schedule. The PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic is June 30 to July 3 in Silvis, Illinois.
Report: A company working with the PGA Tour is also negotiating with the LIV Golf Invitational series.
The PGA Tour is in the first year on a nine-year media rights deal with CBS, NBC and ESPN and all parties seem to be happy continuing their relationships.
But the pending arrival of the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf Invitational series is sure to complicate things.
John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal reports that television production company NEP Group may soon have a deal with LIV Golf and writes that this “has the potential to create some upheaval in the television production world.”
Most sports fans are probably unfamiliar with NEP Group, Inc., a Pittsburgh-based production company that bills itself as the “leading technology partner for content creators around the globe.”
NEP already works with the PGA Tour, doing all the behind-the-scenes work that creates the live product that fans watching at home see on CBS, NBC or ESPN.
As Ourand reports, the PGA Tour “has been dissuading its corporate partners from working with the Saudi-backed upstart league.”
NEP reportedly beat out a few others for the LIV deal, should it actually pan out, and they’d be one of the only companies working with both the PGA Tour and the breakaway LIV series. Ourand writes that most companies that have contracts with the PGA Tour are steering clear of LIV.
As for which channel golf fans may find the LIV golf coverage, Ourand writes:
The other big question is who will carry the LIV Golf events in the U.S., considering that most of the big U.S.-based media companies already have deep relationships with the PGA Tour. Sources said LIV Golf had discussions about doing a deal with Fox, but those talks died down weeks ago.
The first LIV Golf event is June 9-11 in London. The first U.S.-based LIV event is scheduled for July 1-3 in Portland at Pumpkin Ridge.
Norman also said two former world No. 1s have registered for LIV Golf’s first event in London.
In an interview with ESPN, Greg Norman unearthed new details about his Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf Invitational series, as well as the damaging effects of Phil Mickelson’s controversial comments.
The two-time major champion and CEO of LIV Golf Investments said his 14-event upstart league was ready to go back in February, the same week Alan Shipnuck published Mickelson’s “scary motherf—ers” quote in a story for the Fire Pit Collective.
“Quite honestly, we were ready to launch on the Tuesday or Wednesday of Genesis,” Norman told ESPN. “We had enough players in our strength of field, or minimal viable product, ready to come on board. And when all of that happened, everybody got the jitters, and the PGA Tour threatened people with lifetime bans and stuff like that.”
“There’s no question (Mickelson’s comments) hurt,” Norman said. “It hurt a lot of aspects. It hurt the PGA Tour. It hurt us. It hurt the game of golf. It hurt Phil. So yeah, across all fronts. It wasn’t just specifically to us. But it definitely created negative momentum against us.”
Norman told ESPN at least 15 of the world’s top 50 players had committed to LIV Golf a week after SI.com’s Bob Harig reported that 15 of the world’s top 100 players had registered for the first event at Centurion Golf Club in London, June 9-11.
“To this day, we still have players under contract and signed,” Norman said of the players committed to the eight-event series. “The ones who wanted to get out because of the pressure of the PGA Tour gave back their money and got out. Guys had money in their pockets.”
More than 200 players registered for the first event, according to Norman, including two previous world No. 1s. Mickelson’s agent confirmed his client was one of lot to register, saying last week that Mickelson had also registered for the PGA Championship – where he’s the defending champion – and the U.S. Open.
“He’s always going to have an open door,” Norman said of Mickelson. “It’s going to be his decision, his decision only. He’s got a few things he has to work out himself, obviously, with the PGA Tour and where he wants to go with them and how he wants to go with them. I can’t read Phil’s mind because I haven’t spoken with him. From our perspective, I’m always going to be consistent in that I respect Phil. I respect what he’s done for the game of golf, and he’s always going to have an open door to any golf tournament he wants to go play as far as I’m concerned.”
