Tiger Woods takes aim at Phil Mickelson for siding with golf's Saudi-backed rebel series

Tiger Woods expressed his “disappointment” that Phil Mickelson is not at Southern Hills to defend his US PGA crown this week, but only after tearing into his rival for siding with the Saudis and putting his own interests above that of the PGA Tour.

As “wish you were heres” go, this was brutal. “Phil has said some things that I think a lot of us who are committed to the Tour and committed to the legacy of the Tour have pushed back against, and he’s taken some personal time, and we all understand that,” Woods said.

“But I believe in legacies. I believe in major championships. I believe in big events, comparisons to historical figures of the past. There’s plenty of money out here. The Tour is growing. But it’s just like any other sport.

“It’s like tennis. You have to go out there and earn it. You’ve got to go out there and play for it. We have the opportunity to go ahead and do it. It’s just not guaranteed up front.”

Woods’s last point was a dig at Mickelson so thinly veiled it was enough to be opaque. Telegraph Sport reported last year that Mickelson was offered more than $100 million “up front” to sign with the breakaway league, in which the winning cheque in each event is $4 million, with $120,000 going to the player finishing last in the 48-man fields.

The plan was to launch the LIV Golf League in February, but Mickelson caused global outrage by first calling the Saudis “scary motherf-----s to deal with”, but then figuring he could repel his disgust in his bid to get one over on the PGA Tour, which he believes has short-changed him over media rights.

LIV’s league was suddenly scrapped, but they quickly regrouped and formed the $255 million LIV Golf Series that begins in St Albans in three weeks with a $25 million 54-holer. Will Mickelson be there? The rumours persist that he is serving a ban on Tour after admitting he worked against his home circuit by trying to entice fellow pros to sign with the Saudis and to paying for attorneys to draw up a players’ charter for the circuit.

But the PGA of America once again claimed on Tuesday that he would have been “welcome” to try to retain the Wanamaker Trophy he won in such historic fashion 12 months ago by becoming the oldest major winner. His choice, his loss – that is the pervading view in the locker room. One leading pro, who will not be named, has even mentioned the word “treason”.

Meanwhile, Alan Shipnuck, the journalist to whom Mickelson uttered the infamous “scary” line, has succinctly described how their peers view the difference between Woods and Mickelson.

“A player told me that ‘Tiger has never tried to be bigger than the game and put money in the players’ pockets – Phil is trying to be bigger than the game and take money out of the players’ pockets’,” Shipnuck said. “He is trying to torch down their house.”

There will be general revulsion if Hertfordshire is where Mickelson returns after what would be a four-month absence. The backlash would get even uglier and uglier.

However, the 104th US PGA is undoubtedly poorer without the game’s great showman. Recognising the gap left by Mickelson – who becomes the first fit male major champion in modern times to decline to defend his title – the organisers have ensured that there is plenty to sate the audience by pairing Woods not only with Rory McIlroy but also with Jordan Spieth, the 28-year-old trying to join the immortals by completing the career grand slam.

It is a mouth-watering grouping, but still the absence of the left-hander dominates the agenda.

McIlroy admitted he had been a “little presumptuous” when labelling the Saudi league as “dead in the water” after the Mickelson-inspired collapse in February. “Look, it’s going to shape the future of professional golf one way or another,” McIlroy said, before underlining his strength of resistance. “I like being my own boss and don’t want Greg Norman telling me what to do.”

For now, McIlroy simply feels pity for Mickelson. “Unfortunate; sad,” he said. “This should be a celebration. He won a major at 50 years old. It was possibly his last big, big moment in the game of golf. I think he should be here this week, celebrating what a monumental achievement it was at Kiawah Island last year. Just very, very sad.”