Mickelson in dramatic Saudi U-turn

WHAT a week for the proposed Saudi golf revolution. As the world’s best players lined up here to voice their rejection of the riches on offer to join the mooted Super Golf League, Phil Mickelson overshadowed them all by labelling the Saudis ‘scary motherf ***** s to get involved with.’

Yes, the same Mickelson who has accepted at least $10million in appearance fees from the Saudis in recent years and was acting as their leading champion. Acting, apparently, being the operative word.

In quotes that appear in a soon-to-be-published book, ‘Phil: The rip-roaring (and unauthorised biography of golf’s most colourful superstar’) he claims it’s all been a ruse to gain ‘leverage’ and reshape the PGA Tour. It’s worked to the extent that the tour will hand over hundreds of millions of dollars more in prize money over the next few years, which has obviously gone down well with the young men with most to gain.

It’s believed Mickelson is mulling over an offer of around $100m to be one of the key figures in the SGL. Or was. Mickelson is quoted as saying: ‘We know the Saudis killed (Washington Post reporter Jamal) Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights.

‘They execute people over there for being gay. Why would I even consider getting involved with them? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape the way the PGA Tour operates. As nice a guy as PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan comes across as, unless you have leverage he won’t do what’s right.’

It leaves the likes of Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, and Henrik Stenson weighing up their £20m offers to join. The Genesis Invitational? Some golf broke out at Riviera, but not for Matt Fitzpatrick who pulled out with a stomach virus.