GOLF
Lanny Wadkins calls Phil Mickelson ‘most disappointing figure’ in the game of golf
The former PGA Championship winner ripped on ‘Lefty” and his behavior over the last few years regarding LIV golf and his gambling addiction.
Eamon Lynch, the Golf Today presenter, brought up the recent allegations by Billy Walters, the Vegas gambler, who claimed that Mickelson wanted to bet on the 2012 Ryder Cup team he was a member of. Although ‘Lefty’ has denied betting on golf’s biggest international match play tournament, rumors began to appear about Mickelson’s betting addiction.
It seems like Wadkins is not a big Phil Mickelson fan. The golf veteran didn’t hold back when discussing Mickelson’s actions on and off the course. Wadkins’ made it very clear to Lynch what he thinks about the LIV golfer and his behavior over the last few years.
What did Wadkins say about Mickelson?
When asked about the gambling allegations, Wadkins, the 1977 PGA championship winner, told Lynch exactly what he thought about ‘Lefty’:
“I don’t know that there’s ever been a more disappointing figure in golf than Phil Mickelson,” he said. ”He was a beloved figure for a long time, we all marveled at the way he could play. But, just nothing looks kosher about what he’s doing these days.”
Wadkins was referring to Mickelson’s decision to leave the PGA for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour and his gambling problem. “He’s blown a chance to probably be a Ryder Cup captain.” Watkins said. “I think he probably would have been a two-time captain. Now he’s not going to be involved. It’s really kind of a shame. He has self imploded. It looks like he just continues to at every turn. It’s disappointing and sad. It’s sad that we have people in our game who think they’re bigger than the game. And obviously, Phil thinks he’s bigger.”
Now we’ll have to sit back and wait for Mickelson to reply to Wadkins. ‘Lefty’ has been very outspoken about his decision to leave the PGA and hasn’t denied that he has made a lot of bets over the years on sporting events. It will be interesting to see how Mickelson and the golf world reacts to Wadkins’ criticism. Mickelson has had a rough week on and off the course. Eamon Lynch also made it clear about his feelings regarding the LIV Golfer this weekend in a column in the USA Today.