Sports Phil Mickelson apologizes for controversial comments about a Saudi-backed golf league The Masters website lists Mickelson, 51, under the category of 'past champions not playing.' He also missed the Players Championship earlier this month. 'I think we live in a time now when we are such a judgmental society, a litigious society, a critical society, where people get crucified,' Player said. 'I have a special thought on Phil Mickelson,' Player said when asked about the former champion, saying Mickelson has been a strong promoter of pro golf who simply made a mistake, and who apologized for it. 22, when he issued statements via Instagram and Twitter apologizing for controversial comments he made about the PGA and Saudi Arabia and saying that he needed 'some time away.'Īlso commenting on Mickelson this week: Gary Player, the 86-year-old great who is now an 'ambassador' for Golf Saudi, a Riyadh-based organization that promotes the sport in Saudi Arabia.
Mickelson has withdrawn from the public eye since Feb. Mickelson's absence follows his comments on Saudi Arabia and the PGA The 2022 tournament marks his first absence from the Augusta contest since 1994. That year, he was invited as the defending U.S.
Mickelson first played in the Masters in 1991, when he was a junior at Arizona State University.
