Midweek Musings - I Vant To Be Alone Edition UPDATED

What shall we kick around this morning?  I know, silly question, but I really do have other stuff that deserves some airtime, but kicking Phil while he's down, as Rory so aptly put it, is why this blog exists in the first place.

 

And, if I tell you that the man that saved golf, Alan Shipnuck has an all-Phil edition of his mailbag?  Yeah, go ahead, put another pot of coffee on.

It's all over, Phil has apologized, admitted the errors of his way, congratulated Alan Shipnuck on his journalistic efforts and sent Jay Monahan a tardy Valentine.   Though shockingly Shack didn't exactly see it quite like that:

Mickelson Apologizes And Manages To Make Things Worse

Yeah, this seems to call out for a righteous Fisking, so let's have at it:

“Although it doesn't look this way now given my recent comments, my actions throughout this process have always been with the best interest of golf, my peers, sponsors, and fans. There is the problem of off record comments being shared out of context and without my consent, but the bigger issue is that I used words I sincerely regret that do not reflect my true feelings or intentions. It was reckless, I offended people, and I am deeply sorry for my choice of words. I’m beyond disappointed and will make every effort to self-reflect and learn from this.

 As  sophisticated consumers of content, you're no doubt familiar with the concept of the "Non-apologyapology", which is described thusly on Wikipedia:

A non-apology apology, sometimes called a backhanded apology, nonpology, or fauxpology,[1][2] is a statement in the form of an apology that does not express remorse, or assigns fault to those ostensibly receiving the apology. It is common in politics and public relations.

What we have before us is something of a hybrid, as in that last bit he does take some measure of accountability, though note that said accountability is limited to...well, words.  Which comes just a we bit short in my book...  It certainly may be that folks have latched onto the words, for instance I think Dylan Dethier nails this bit in his Monday Finish feature:

But being an occasional contender and full-time provocateur can be a turbulent position. In just the last three weeks Mickelson has uttered two two-word phrases that will stick with him the rest of his career (or at least until he replaces them with the next salvo). The first phrase, “obnoxious greed,” was used in reference to the folks at the PGA Tour, which has been Mickelson’s home the last three decades. The second phrase, “scary m—–f—–,” was used in reference to Mickelson’s potential new bosses in a breakaway Saudi league that Mickelson has now admitted that he helped create. Now that he has turned biting the hands that feed him into a full-time sport, Mickelson’s next move will prove a tricky escape even for the master of the 64-degree wedge.

Phil has the gift for gab, though most folks have a filter installed as original equipment at the factory.

But I'm fascinated that he thought it shrewd to accuse Shipnuck of using off-the-record conversations, while admitting to the accuracy of the quotes.  Even if true, what does it get him?  And, the problem is that it's Phil, so is it true?  Well, there's a track record here and it ain't pretty.

But Phil actually has me nodding my head at Brandel Chamblee, so I guess he truly is a uniter:

“The statement was six paragraphs,” Chamblee said in a Golf Channel interview. The first paragraph was about him pretending to be a victim.

But did I tell you that the perp, that Shipnuck guy, has a ripped-from-the-headlines mailbag feature up?  Phil has been accusing folks of all sorts of questionable behavior, here the accusation is of journalistic malfeasance.  Anyone old enough to remember this old saw?

Never argue with someone who buys ink by the barrel

Phil may well be the stupidest smart guy I've ever seen, as the allegation invites a rebuttal, and the rebuttal predictably undermines the credibility of everything Phil says.

Have you heard from Phil? @GeoffShac

He sent me a text on the morning the excerpt dropped. He was less than thrilled. Just as in the

statement he released on Tuesday afternoon, Mickelson made a half-hearted attempt at revisionist history, trying to say our talk had been a private conversation, but I shut that down real quick. He knew I was working on a book about him and asked to speak, saying he wanted to discuss media rights and his grievances with the PGA Tour, both of which inevitably lead back to Saudi Arabia. If the subject of a biography phones the author, the content of that conversation is always going to inform the book, unless it is expressly agreed otherwise. Not once in our texts or when we got on the phone did Mickelson request to go off-the-record and I never consented to it; if he had asked, I would have pushed back hard, as this was obviously material I wanted for the book. Mickelson simply called me up and opened a vein. To claim now that the comments were off-the-record is false and duplicitous.

Phil tries to play the victim, but in so doing he opens the door to Alan to further describe the circumstances, thereby shredding whatever trace levels of credibility remained intact.

By the way, you did notice who the question came from above?  Geoff reminds us of a small detail in his Quad post:

This thoughts were delivered midday Tuesday to the people he’s yet to block on Twitter.

 Heh!  Nothing says truth teller quite like like blocking folks on Twitter....

Back to that apology:

“Golf desperately needs change, and real change is always preceded by disruption. I have always known that criticism would come with exploring anything new. I still chose to put myself at the forefront of this to inspire change, taking the hits publicly to do the work behind the scenes.

Brandel's been uncharacteristically cryptic, though it kinda works:

The second paragraph was about him pretending to be an activist.

I might have gone with visionary, but sure....

I certainly agree with Phil that golf could benefit from some change, although that "desperately" is quite the adjective, no?  

Geoff:

Oh you took the hits publicly.

Mickelson believes golf is the professional game and wealth gained from playing. His “work behind the scenes” was focused on unearthing more money for professional golfers, not lowering the cost to entry or saving courses under threat of extinction. Some players employ grow the game as a shallow go-to shield. Others use it as an inside joke. Phil really believes if he’s richer the game is better off.

As far as I can tell, there's no truth to the charge that he focused-grouped the following :

„We are the change we have been waiting for.“

“this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal ..."

But it's about all that's missing here.  

I don't actually agree with Geoff's take, not that he doesn't nail the disconnect between the professional game and larger game.  It's just that I don't begrudge him living in his fishbowl and obsessing over money, it's something we all do to some extent.  

Isn't the bigger issue that he's been the leader of this behind the scenes, been obsessing over media rights and other issues, and who has he convinced?  He wants to be the salesman for this, but he doesn't seem to have sold anything or anyone....  And even among professionals, he seemed to working for only a handful of those guys, the A-list.  Forget Brandel and Geoff, gotta go to Dylan on this one:

I started out on burgundy

But soon hit the harder stuff

Everybody said they’d stand behind me

When the game got rough

But the joke was on me

There was nobody even there to call my bluff

I’m going back to New York City

I do believe I’ve had enough -

 Bob Dylan, Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues

But what do you make of this?

“My experience with LIV Golf Investments has been very positive. I apologize for anything I said that was taken out of context. The specific people I have worked with are visionaries and have only been supportive. More importantly they passionately love golf and share my drive to make the game better. They have a clear plan to create an updated and positive experience for everyone including players, sponsors, networks, and fans.

Just to be clear, these are the guys that you called, checking notes, scary mofos?

Funny you should mention sponsors....   But hold that thought, is he actually worried about his safety?  I mean, who coulda seen that coming?  I for one would expect them to be completely happy to be used by Phil for negotiating leverage with the PGA Tour.

Geoff had this amusing, if scary bit:

That Mickelson’s still buttering up to the Saudis suggests he’s not listening to anyone and even in danger of becoming their next target. (If they have Phil’s cell phone number, they already may have compromising information.)

They don't need his cellphone when he says all the quiet stuff out loud. 

Or, and it's hard to discern which is worse, is he just trying to keep his options open?  Because, yanno, visionaries.

Back to Alan:

I completely understand that Phil needs to be perceived as the smartest guy in the room; just look at his long-time tour nickname FIGJAM. (Editor’s note: F*ck I’m Good Just Ask Me.) How could he ever think that saying such things about the Saudis (all true) when he’s in business with them wouldn’t come back to bite him? @rhallisey

Even knowing he came armed with an agenda, I was amazed by Mickelson’s bluntness when we spoke. My take is that he wanted his true feelings on record but, as always, was working both sides of the street. If he wound up signing with the SGL, at least the quotes would serve as a signal to golf fans that he knows the Saudis are bad actors and it’s strictly a business decision. If he remained in the fold with the PGA Tour, he would have made it clear he did so only after extracting many of the concessions he wanted, thus fulfilling the need, as you note, to feel like he had outsmarted everyone else. Mickelson loved The Queen’s Gambit—“It fits his obsessive personality,” his wife, Amy, told me—but it turns out he is not quite the master strategist that he fancies himself.

And, as per his fawning over the bonecutters, he's still playing all sides of the street...  But that odor you just got a whiff of?  That's the smell of bridges burning:

“I have incredible partners, and these relationships mean so much more to me than a contract. Many have been my most influential mentors and I consider all to be lifelong friends. The last thing I would ever want to do is compromise them or their business in any way, and I have given all of them the option to pause or end the relationship as I understand it might be necessary given the current circumstances. I believe in these people and companies and will always be here for them with or without a contract.

Yeah, I'm sure they trust you on that as you on that.  But there's news on that front:

And not coincidentally it all arrived about an hour before sponsor KPMG dropped Mickelson and scrapped him from their website. Over the weekend I had learned his deals were in trouble there and at Workday. So I reached out to both companies for comment but they, along with Callaway where Mickelson’s under a lifetime contract extension, did not reply to multiple requests. 

The loss of his prominent partnerships will deliver more stress for someone who views himself as the ultimate pitchman. And he’s a good one. But now? Who will believe him or find his dancing karate kicks cute? Maybe on TikTok but that won’t put millions into accounts.

We wrap up with Phil tugging at our heartstrings:

I have made a lot of mistakes in my life and many have been shared with the public. My intent was never to hurt anyone and I’m so sorry to the people I have negatively impacted. This has always been about supporting the players and the game and I appreciate all the people who have given me the benefit of the doubt.

Despite my belief that some changes have already been made within the overall discourse, I know I need to be accountable. For the past 31 years I have lived a very public life and I have strived to live up to my own expectations, be the role model the fans deserve, and be someone that inspires others. I’ve worked to compete at the highest level, be available to media, represent my sponsors with integrity, engage with volunteers and sign every autograph for my incredible fans. I have experienced many successful and rewarding moments that I will always cherish, but I have often failed myself and others too. The past 10 years I have felt the pressure and stress slowly affecting me at a deeper level. I know I have not been my best and desperately need some time away to prioritize the ones I love most and work on being the man I want to be.

 We can certainly agree with you on that first bit.

I actually have a surprising amount of sympathy for the man on the stress front, because it's very real.  I just lump it with his griping about California taxes, in that it's very real and I don't begrudge him doing what he needs to do.  The problem is when you lose any sense of self-awareness, and fail to recognize how clueless you sound complaining about money and respect.  but can we come to any other conclusion but that Phil still wants to get paid?

From here we're probably going to bounce around a bit, starting with a couple of bits from Alan about the timing:

Alan, a question on the truth and background of your piece: You had this for 3 months, you love the Tour … did you push it out for love? Was it orchestrated (or did you discuss) with Jay Monahan? The repercussions are amazing, the background must be fascinating as well. @RealTurtleBR

My relationship with the Tour is complicated, and love does not accurately capture it. I would never let them dictate terms to me about anything, least of all a book I am writing. Commissioner Monahan was as surprised as everyone else when this story posted. I have gone on record plenty of times with my disdain for the Saudis’ sportswashing, but that doesn’t mean I’m here to do the Tour’s bidding. My fealty (to use a new favorite word) is to the readers, and to the truth. Mickelson is at the center of an important development in the golf world, and I had the opportunity to advance the story with real reporting. The chips will fall where they may, but that is not my concern.

Respectfully, why did you hold Phil’s explosive comments until now? @JedDeMuesy

Everything pertaining to the Saudi Golf League has been hazy and uncertain and I wanted to see how it was going to play out. Five days ago, a top player agent told me the Saudis had been waiting to make an official announcement until they had signed their 20th player…and that they had just reached 20 and a splashy kickoff event was going to be held the week of the Players Championship in mid-March. (I respect the pettiness.) With things at a boil, it felt like it was the right time to make known Mickelson’s true feelings. It took some convincing with Simon & Schuster, as publishers prefer for excerpts to come out around the time a book is released, not three months in advance. But what Phil told me was simply too important to sit on.

I'm a little surprised that S&S hasn't pushed up the publication date, though of course I have no clue what's involved.

More on how it all looks from Alan's perspective:

What does it feel like to hit send on a tweet that changes the history of the game of golf? @td445544

That seems rather grandiose. I did know this was going to explode, and I would say the moment you describe felt… fraught. A lot of people were going to be affected, including some scary mofos. I definitely skipped breakfast that morning. I have empathy for Mickelson, and there is a lot to unpack in his statement where he discusses the stress of having led a big, controversial life for so long. In the wake of the excerpt, folks have asked if my book is a “hit piece” or if I’m out to “bury” Phil. No to both of those. It’s a fair, balanced look at his life and career. I would say it is written with affection, because I have always enjoyed covering Phil, despite our occasional dust-ups. There are tons of outrageous tales and laugh-out-loud moments. But he has been involved in a lot of messiness, and that’s all in the book too.

Did you see this blowing up as big as it did, and do you wish you had released more, less, or something different of what Phil said on the topic? @MichaelSmyth

I think it was the right amount. I must say I am a little surprised at the intensity of the backlash. Wasn’t it obvious all along that Mickelson was playing the Saudis against the PGA Tour? I guess it hits differently when you say the quiet parts out loud. It’s a reminder that Mickelson has always been polarizing and remains so. And that anything involving Saudi Arabia—which supplied 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers—remains highly emotional.

Obviously, the scary mofos comment hit home, as well as the realization that this is all about the money.

My own personal opinion is that this side of Phil, that which I call "Bad Phil", has been underreported and underappreciated.  For instance, I simply believe that the depravity of his 2014 defenestration of Tom Watson needs to be revisited in light of this, that it really was that bad.

But the vehemence of his peers' reactions at The Genesis, coupled with the release of "scary mofos", just laid bare who Phil is at heart (or at least the one side of him).

So, in the parlance of Unplayable Lies, wither Phil?

Mike Bamberger took an interesting look at this, written after the blow-up but before the apology misfire:

Or Mickelson could drop his link to Greg Norman’s LIV Golf Investments and its Saudi backers and the world golf tour it envisions, and try to resume his big life on the PGA Tour, the Champions tour (where it’s hard to have a big life) and as a living legend of the game. It was only nine months ago that Mickelson became the oldest golfer to win a major championship!

But retreating is not Mickelson’s style, his legal entanglements with LIV Golf are possibly far more involved than we could know, and he has already scorched the earth — the majors, the PGA Tour, corporate America — where he plied his trade for so long, and so effectively.

His mouth and his ambition, to say nothing of his talent and his work ethic, got him to where he was in May, when he won the PGA at Kiawah, in coastal South Carolina, and was swarmed by fans as he marched to the 18th green.

His mouth and his ambition got him to where he is right now. Mickelson, who can be loaded with charm, who has all the best words, who has been engaging with fans and reporters and golf’s corporate sponsors for decades, is a restless personality. In the history of golf, you can’t think of another person like him. It’s not really that surprising to see him in the spot he is in.

We should have known all this about Phil at least since 2014.

Though this seems a stretch:

Will Mickelson ever become what he deserves to be, a revered elder statesman in the game? It’s really up to him.

Does he deserve to be revered?   On his playing record alone, that's a gimme.  But there's a private plane full of acquired baggage at this point, and no shortage of folks no longer inclined to give Phil the benefit of the doubt....

Alan is more of an optimist:

Given that most casual golf fans don’t spend time with golf Twitter, many are probably unaware of the events of this week. Given this, what sort of reception do you expect Mickelson to receive the next time he tees it up? @FisherM24

This is a key point: Golf Twitter is not real life. Most fans are barely paying attention to the Saudi intrigue, although that may change with Mickelson having released his statement. Phil will survive this controversy just as he has survived all of the other preceding controversies. Those who love him will still love him, because the Saudi dalliance is on-brand for a self-styled maverick. Those who don’t will just have another reason to justify their feelings. Phil has survived Billy Walters, playing tennis on the 13th green at Shinnecock Hills during the national championship and throwing Tom Watson under a Greyhound. He is nothing if not a survivor.

OK, but this has exploded way beyond Golf Twitter, and Phil has squandered most of his platforms.

I don't think Phil is going anywhere and I certainly agree that there will be some Phil dead-enders, but I think the survival will be in diminished form.  I think an underexplored angle in all this is his trashing of his bromance with Tiger, whose comments on media rights were an early flare that went up.

Now, Alan's got some other interesting bits, such as this use of the F-word:

I mentioned the Larry David fatwa episode to you a few days ago, but I fear it might turn real because you saved the PGA Tour and sunk the SGL with the timing of the Phil excerpt. Is a lifetime achievement award from the PGA Tour really worth looking over your shoulder forever? @Elpulpo8888

I welcome the fatwa jokes… as long as they are jokes!

This point mirrors one of my own in which I called Jay the luckiest guy on the planet:

Would the Saudi League have succeeded if it hadn’t been associated with the Saudis? Let’s say someone like Softbank had bankrolled a league with the same format and same stars but without the moral outrage of the Saudi component. Would that league have made it? @luke_peacock

What you are describing is the Premiere Golf League; the folks behind that are mostly European interests. They didn’t have the money to steal the top stars from the PGA Tour, so they approached the Saudis to help fund it; the Saudis simply stole their idea and made a go of it alone. The PGL had a cool schedule lined up all around the world. I think it would have been a great product, and if it could have been free of the taint of Saudi money, it would have well-received as a fresh take on professional golf.

True enough, though I think we'd all benefit from a deeper dive into how poorly that vision for golf aligns with our game, though I'll mercifully leave that for another day.

But here's the thing, the money on offer was so many orders of magnitude above the economic value of the events (have you seen the ratings?), that it's less about the Brits having the money than it is about economic rationality prevailing...

I'm sure as soon as I publish I'll remember bits I missed, but I'm going to close with this from Geoff:

Who knows what’s driven Mickelson to the edge? Good people get sucked into sinister stuff and say silly things to fulfill weird desires to feel power, live on the edge, or get out of debt. But Phil's gone down this road too many times for anyone to feel sorry for him. The entire saga is sad for his wonderful family and the sport.

As much as golf traffics in blatant ageism to overcompensate for its older demographic, even the ageists generally respects the sport’s elders. Maybe because it’s easier to grow old in golf. Past major champions are welcomed back and worshipped every year. Their talent usually sticks around and we marvel that they’ve still got it. Those old stories are cherished and their opinions are genuinely valued—except when they dare to suggest the ball fly shorter. Then they get trashed.

Mickelson may still get the chance to age gracefully and kick off The Masters some day when his hair has transitioned to grey and he’s shed his propensity to say stupid things. But given the spinning and rationalizing in what was supposed to be an attempt at earnestness, may just mean he’s a point-misser emeritus. So perhaps it’s a best for everyone if he waits a while to resurface.

Who would have guessed Tiger Woods might play a 2022 major before Phil Mickelson?

Lots of good points, but Phil did his best to deny Tom Watson his right to age graciously, so goose, gander.

So, shall we start a pool to guess when we next see Phil?  So, that May 17th publication date is interesting, because it's, wait for it, PGA Championship week.  Anyone remember who the defender is?  At the risk of repeating myself, I think Alan's book could well have quite the effect on Phil's legacy.  

Tomorrow is a travel day, so I'll likely see you next on Friday morning.  Of course, I won't have all my open browser tabs, but we'll figure something out.

UPDATE:  Eamon Lynch is in the house and....well, Eamon doesn't take prisoners.

But before I get to the latest, do you remember Eamon's previous item?  Because this guy really liked the lede:

This paragraph by @eamonlynch on Phil Mickelson/Saudi Tour is quite possibly the best thing I have read in quite some time, especially with the jab at Greg Norman. pic.twitter.com/qwl51jN1hl

— Brian Stultz (@brianjstultz) February 20, 2022

Hold Eamon's beer, Brian, cause this one doesn't suck either:

Legend has it that Marcus Licinius Crassus of Rome was killed by the mutineering men he’d led into a failed battle, who poured molten gold down their leader’s throat in mockery of his thirst for wealth. Philip Alfred Mickelson of Rancho Santa Fe, on the other hand, was merely deserted by his bootless troops as the cause in which he had conscripted them slipped away. As for the symbolic choking on needless greed, he served and swallowed that ruinous cocktail himself.

I'll see your Sun Tzu and raise you a Marcus Licinius Crassus....

I might just have to excerpt the entire thing, because it seems Eamon was less than enthused by the apology:

Apologies are less about atoning for past mistakes than setting the table for future comity, so it was noteworthy that the most fulsome atonement in the statement Mickelson released Tuesday

was directed not at those he had insulted but toward those about whom he had told the truth.

There was no mention of the PGA Tour or its commissioner, Jay Monahan, whom he had accused of “coercive, strong-arm” tactics in comments to the writer Alan Shipnuck that were made public six days ago, a conversation in which Mickelson admitted to overlooking Saudi atrocities because the regime provided leverage to force concessions from the Tour that would further enrich him. But for LIV Golf Investments, the anodyne brand from which emissaries of the world’s foremost bonesaw enthusiast are attempting to launch a hostile takeover of men’s professional golf, there was buttery praise.

Hailing the Saudis as “visionaries” who “passionately love golf” represented a dizzying pivot given that last week Mickelson was revealed to have called them “scary mother——s,” murderers and human rights abusers. But perhaps he learned from the example of Jamal Khashoggi that lèse-majesté laws are decidedly unforgiving in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s circles.

What he said!  

Falls from grace in sport can be slow and grounded in unethical behavior, like Lance Armstrong’s. Or, like that of Tiger Woods, rapid and owing to private shortcomings. Mickelson’s sets a new standard for precipitous disgrace, brought about by his cozying up to a murderous government because he was denied permission to use media he doesn’t own to create content few would buy.

No doubt he imagines himself a pioneer—a “disrupter,” in the nomenclature of bullshitters—but Mickelson is setting out in search of new gold from a mine that is far from exhausted. What has been depleted is the forbearance of his peers for his preening self-regard, his mercenary selfishness, and his callous indifference to the abuses of his allies in Riyadh.

“Everyone is tired of Phil,” one exasperated player texted. “Just a general consensus.”

Talk about failing to read the room.  

I'll leave it here, but you'll want to read the entire piece (though it's a pretty heavy set of excerpts).

As Alan Shipnuck said, memories are short and maybe he finds his way back to revered senior citizen, but, as Alan said in a prior comment, this incident will be on his tombstone.