Phil Mickelson #
Introduction #
Phil Mickelson, one of professional golf’s most decorated and marketable players, faced sudden corporate fallout in February 2022 after comments he had made about a Saudi Arabia-backed golf league became public. Within days, longtime sponsors KPMG, Amstel Light, and Workday ended their relationships with the six-time major champion, and Callaway paused its partnership. On February 22, 2022, Mickelson apologized, saying he was “deeply sorry for my choice of words,” and said he needed time away from the game.
Background Information #
Philip Alfred Mickelson was born on June 16, 1970, in San Diego, California, and turned professional in 1992 after a standout college career at Arizona State University. Nicknamed “Lefty” for his left-handed swing, he won 45 events on the PGA Tour, including six majors: three Masters titles (2004, 2006, 2010), two PGA Championships (2005, 2021), and one Open Championship (2013). At 50, his 2021 PGA Championship win made him the oldest major champion in history, and he entered the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2012.
He was also one of golf’s most successful pitchmen: Sportico ranked him No. 21 among the world’s highest-paid athletes in 2021 at $46.1 million, including $42 million from sponsors, appearance fees, and bonuses, and he won the PGA Tour’s inaugural Player Impact Program title with an $8 million bonus. His sponsors at the time included KPMG (a partner since 2008), Workday, Callaway (since 2004), Rolex, and Amstel Light.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #
The controversy centered on comments Mickelson made in November 2021 to golf writer Alan Shipnuck, whose unauthorized biography was set for publication in spring 2022. In mid-February, Shipnuck released an excerpt in which Mickelson discussed the “Super Golf League,” a breakaway circuit backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and fronted by former golfer Greg Norman. Mickelson called the Saudis “scary motherfuckers,” acknowledged that “they killed” Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi — whose 2018 murder a United Nations probe called a “premeditated execution” for which Saudi Arabia was responsible — and said they had “a horrible record on human rights” and “execute people over there for being gay.” He nonetheless called the league “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates.”
The backlash was immediate. Rory McIlroy, then ranked No. 5 in the world, called the statements “naive, selfish, egotistical, ignorant,” saying he was sure Mickelson was at home “rethinking his position and where he goes from here.” Most of the PGA Tour’s top players, including No. 6-ranked Dustin Johnson, publicly pledged allegiance to the tour.
On February 22, 2022, Mickelson posted a long statement apologizing for his remarks. “I am deeply sorry for my choice of words,” he wrote, apologizing for anything “taken out of context” and insisting his “intent was never to hurt anyone.” He said the past decade had left him feeling pressure and stress “slowly affecting me at a deeper level,” and that he “desperately need some time away to prioritize the ones I love and work on being the man I want to be.” He gave his sponsors the right to pause or end their relationships, and Forbes reported he said the comments were made off the record and released without his consent.
Public Reaction and Consequences #
The corporate fallout was swift. On February 22, KPMG — a Mickelson sponsor since 2008 — announced the two sides had “mutually agreed to end our sponsorship effective immediately,” becoming the first sponsor to part with the golfer. Amstel Light followed later that day; a Heineken spokesman said, “We made the decision to go our separate ways and end Amstel Light’s partnership with Phil Mickelson.” Workday had announced the previous week it would not renew its deal, set to expire in March. Callaway, a sponsor since 2004, said it would “pause” its relationship, stating his choice of words “in no way reflect our values or what we stand for as a company.”
KPMG had multiple offices in Saudi Arabia and remained a significant golf sponsor as a PGA Tour and LPGA Tour brand ambassador and title sponsor of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. At the time of ABC News’s report, other sponsors on Mickelson’s website, including Rolex, had not commented.
Current Status #
Mickelson followed through on his stated need for time away, announcing he would step back from golf to spend time with his family and miss the 2022 Masters Tournament. In May 2022, he withdrew from the PGA Championship he had won the year before.
In June 2022, he joined the Saudi-backed venture after all. LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman announced on June 6 that Mickelson would play in the circuit’s first event beginning June 9, and on the opening day of the LIV Golf Invitational London, the PGA Tour suspended Mickelson and 16 others for competing in a conflicting event without permission. Mickelson gave up a PGA Tour membership of 30 years, becoming the only golfer to have won three different majors to join LIV, and finished tied for second at the 2023 Masters Tournament.
Impact on Their Career/Life #
Mickelson lost a significant number of sponsors, including KPMG, Amstel Light, and Workday, after the comments. The exodus cut into his biggest income stream: Sportico observed the remarks “will almost certainly put a massive dent in those future earnings” for a player who had earned more than $1 billion on and off the course, adjusted for inflation.
The episode marked a decisive turn in a celebrated career. One of the most recognizable and bankable figures in golf spent months away from competition before resurfacing in June 2022 as a star of LIV Golf — the very league his remarks had concerned — ending his 30-year association with the PGA Tour. His endorsement portfolio was permanently reshaped: Wikipedia lists ExxonMobil, Rolex, and Mizzen+Main among his current endorsements, with Callaway’s sponsorship “paused,” while KPMG, Workday, and Amstel Light moved to a list of former partners.