It seemed that the clashes over LIV Golf among professionals had become a thing of the past since the agreement between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund seems increasingly imminent. However, this is not the case, at least for Phil Mickelson, who has accused Fred Couples of lacking class and making idiotic comments over a revelation.
It all started in an interview that Couples gave to radio station 93.3 KJR after being honoured in his hometown of Seattle. When asked about LIV Golf, he said he didn’t have much to say, although he later pointed out that he maintained regular contact with Brooks Koepka, they often chatted, and he revealed that the five-time Major champion wants to return to the PGA Tour. “He wants to come back. Believe me, he really wants to come back and play the PGA Tour,” Couples said exactly.
The comment was obviously picked up by various US media outlets and quickly amplified. It doesn’t seem that Brooks Koepka was bothered by it, or at least he hasn’t commented publicly. The one who didn’t find it amusing is Phil Mickelson, who continues to act as the guardian of the faith for LIV Golf. He has certainly worked hard, and he has his interests in the cause.
Mickelson used his social media to hit back at Couples. On his Twitter account, he wrote: “If it’s not true, it damaged a relationship he cares about. If it is true, he took away Brook’s [sic] control of the timeline and narrative. Either way, this is a low-class and idiotic move by Fred.” You could say he got involved where he wasn’t called. In fact, minutes later, he deleted the message from his account, although we don’t know the reasons. Today, Wednesday, he appeared at a press conference in Hong Kong, as a presentation for this week’s LIV tournament, and the matter was not mentioned. They are not exactly known for receiving challenging or uncomfortable questions at Saudi tournaments.
It must be said that the relationship between Couples and Mickelson hasn’t been at its best for some time. In fact, the 1992 Masters Tournament winner said of him that he was “nuts.” The Green Jacket major champions’ dinner is getting closer and is becoming more colourful.
