Phil Mickelson 'deeply sorry' for comments about Saudis and breakaway golf league

Phil Mickelson has apologised for comments about the Saudis and a proposed super golf league, which he claims were off the record and not meant to be shared publicly.

But the journalist he shared the comments with, Alan Shipnuck, refuted Mickelson's statement, saying «to claim now that the comments were off-the-record is false and duplicitous».

Mickelson also said in a statement he has felt pressure and stress affecting him at a deeper level over the past 10 years and he needs time away. However, he did not say if he would be taking a break from golf.

«I'm beyond disappointed and will make every effort to self-reflect and learn from this,» he said. 

Soon afterwards, KPMG became the first of Mickelson's corporate sponsors to announce an end to their partnership, a decision the company said was mutual.

Most damaging about Mickelson's remarks to author and golf writer Shipnuck was referring to the Saudis financing a proposed breakaway league as «scary motherf***ers».

He also told Shipnuck, who is writing a biography on Mickelson due out in May, that it was worth getting in bed with the Saudis, despite their history of human rights abuses, if it meant a chance to change the PGA Tour.

The interview took place last November.

«We know they killed [Washington Post columnist Jamal] Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay,» he said.

«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.»

We were weeks from the greatest shake-up in professional golf in decades, but explosive comments from Phil Mickelson appear to have killed off the Saudi experiment before it even began.

Mickelson said he has always