admin
LONDON. — Six-time major golf champion Phil Mickelson “sincerely regrets” his criticism of Saudi Arabia’s regime and will take a break from the game “to work on becoming the man I want to be”.
The 51-year-old left-hander, winner of six major titles and the reigning PGA Championship titleholder, also lost long-time sponsor KPMG after issuing a lengthy apology on Twitter. The American, who was involved with the Saudi Arabian-backed super league to gain leverage over the PGA Tour, claims his views were taken “out of context”. However, the 51-year-old says his comments were “reckless” and he is “deeply sorry for his choice of words”.
“I’m beyond disappointed,” he said.
Comments made in November to writer Alan Shipnuck, who has authored a soon-to-be-published unauthorised biography of the US PGA champion, were made public by the writer last Friday.
Following their publication, big-name American players Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson distanced themselves from the proposed league, which is to be a lucrative Formula One-style tour funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Both players were expected to be leading figures in the breakaway set-up.
It is thought Mickelson’s remarks, in which he branded the Saudi regime as “scary” and that the project was a “once in a lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates”, prompted DeChambeau and Johnson to side with the status quo. In a statement issued by his management company SportFive, Mickelson said: “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.” — BBC Sport
Online Reporter