LIV’s Phil Mickelson glad to have picked ‘winning side’ in battle with PGA Tour

Back in Saudi Arabia for the first time since his disparaging remarks about the source of LIV Golf’s funding, Phil Mickelson said on Thursday he was glad he was on the “winning side” and that he sees the PGA Tour trending downward.

“I think going forward you have to pick a side,” he said at a news conference for the LIV Golf Invitational-Jeddah, which starts on Friday. “You have to pick what side do you think is going to be successful. And I firmly believe that I’m on the winning side of how things are going to evolve and shape in the coming years for professional golf.

“We play against a lot of the best players in the world on LIV and there are a lot of the best players in the world on the PGA Tour. And ... until both sides sit down and have a conversation and work something out, both sides are going to continue to change and evolve. And I see LIV Golf trending upwards, I see the PGA Tour trending downwards and I love the side that I’m on.”

In an interview with Alan Shipnuck, who published an unauthorized biography of Mickelson in May, the six-time major champion referred to the Saudis as “scary motherfuckers to get involved with.”

Mickelson was quoted by Shipnuck as saying: “We know they killed [Washington Post reporter Jamal] Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates.”

Mickelson issued a statement after the interview saying his comments were off the record and shared without context.

On Thursday he said: “I never did an interview with Alan Shipnuck. And I find that my experience with everybody associated with LIV Golf has