Phil Mickelson apologizes for remarks about Saudi golf tournament

Golfer Phil Mickelson apologized on Tuesday for his “choice of words” while referencing the Saudi-backed Super Golf League that is attempting to rival the PGA Tour.

Mickelson posted a long statement on social media addressing his prior comments shared by author Alan Shipnuck last week when he released an excerpt from his unauthorized biography of the golf champion.

“It was reckless, I offended people, and I am deeply sorry for my choice of words. I’m beyond disappointed and will make every effort to self-reflect and learn from this,” he wrote. 

“Although it doesn’t look this way now given my recent comments, my actions throughout this process have always been with the best interests of golf, my peers, sponsors and fans,” he added.

Mickelson added that his comments were “off the record,” a claim which has been denied by Shipnuck. 

“I know I have not been my best and desperately need some time away to prioritize the ones I love most and work on being the man I want to be,” Mickelson added, hinting at taking some time off from the tour.

“Golf desperately needs change, and real change is always preceded by disruption,” Mickelson said in a statement. “I have always known that criticism would come with exploring anything new. I still chose to put myself at the forefront of this to inspire change, taking the hits publicly to do work behind the scenes.”

Mickelson made history last year when he became the oldest person to win a major PGA Tour championship at 50 years of age.

Last week, Shipnuck released a quote from the six-time major champion in which he said “Saudi money has finally given us [players] that leverage” to be able to change things about the PGA along with a quote on murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. 

According to CNN, the Saudi-backed Super Golf League is reportedly using a large amount of money to attempt to attract golfers away from the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.