[Golf Topic] Mickelson "Skipping The Players Championship for the First Time in 19 Years"

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] ○…‘Oldest Major Champion’ Phil Mickelson (USA, photo) will not participate in The Players Championship, known as the ‘5th Major’.

The PGA Tour announced the list of players participating in this year’s The Players Championship on the 5th (Korean time). Among players ranked within the top 50 in the world rankings, two players were absent: 18th-ranked Harris English (USA) and 42nd-ranked Mickelson. This is the third time Mickelson has missed The Players Championship, following 1994 due to a leg injury and 2003 when his second daughter was born. English has not competed since mid-January due to a back injury.

Mickelson openly criticized his ‘home’ PGA Tour while supporting the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF)-backed Super Golf League (SGL). Right after participating in the Asian Tour’s Saudi International on the 6th of last month, he said, "The greed of the PGA Tour is disgusting," and criticized, "The PGA Tour does not properly distribute money to the players." However, Mickelson’s remarks sparked backlash from fellow players, the tour, and golf industry insiders.

Mickelson apologized, saying, "There were inappropriate expressions," but sponsors such as KPMG, Workday, and Amstel terminated their contracts. American Express also announced it would no longer partner with the Mickelson Foundation starting from the 2023 tournament. Even Callaway, the equipment company that had sponsored Mickelson since 2004, temporarily suspended its sponsorship. This year’s The Players Championship will be held over four days from the 10th at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.