Phil Mickelson is unlikely to ever be welcomed back to the PGA Tour, according to former ESPN host Trey Wingo, who believes the relationship has been irrevocably damaged. The six-time major winner has been one of the most vocal advocates for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league since joining in 2022, and his defection has created a frosty dynamic with the PGA Tour.
Wingo's Unambiguous Stance
Speaking about Mickelson's prospects, Wingo was unequivocal: "I can promise you one person that you'll never see in any way in an official capacity with the PGA Tour is Phil Mickelson. That bridge has been burned, detonated, destroyed, nuked, lasered to death. There is no building that bridge back."
While the PGA Tour has offered a path back to other defectors such as Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed, albeit with significant financial penalties, Mickelson's situation appears more complicated. The 55-year-old is nearing the end of his career, but his outspoken stance when joining LIV in 2022 has made reconciliation particularly difficult.
Mickelson's Defection and Advocacy
Upon joining LIV Golf, Mickelson said: "I think going forward you have to pick a side. You have to pick what side do you think is going to be successful. I firmly believe that I'm on the winning side of how things are going to evolve and shape in the coming years for professional golf." Since then, he has been a prominent champion of the breakaway league, regularly praising its player experience and global ambitions.
Mickelson has described the contrast between the two tours: "From the players' experience, rather than going into every little detail, I would just say that I used to have anxiousness going to a Tour event with all the details that would go on. I would be anxious and not want to go. I'd go as late as I could. A LIV event, I can't wait to get here. I come earlier. I can't wait to get here. The experience from a player's standpoint, it's better than I could have ever imagined."
LIV Golf's Uncertain Future
Despite Mickelson's enthusiasm, LIV Golf's future has been cast into doubt. Earlier this month, speculation emerged that funding could be pulled. LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil has insisted that this season's schedule will be completed as planned, but the long-term backing of the Saudi Public Investment Fund remains uncertain.
Mickelson has previously expressed optimism about the league's prospects: "I think there's a lot of things that are going to transpire over the next five or 10 years. I'm very bullish and excited about what that means for LIV Golf. But there's also a lot of uncertainty. I think the things that I do know is I think the quality of the players will continue to get better each year. I think that the ability and the sites that we move throughout the world will continue to excite players and excite fans. We'll be going to more countries outside of the United States that really are starving for world-class professional golf, and we'll have a lot more receptions like we had at Adelaide."
For now, Mickelson remains committed to LIV Golf, but his return to the PGA Tour appears impossible. As Wingo put it, the bridge is not just burned—it has been completely destroyed.
