Phil Mickelson: LIV Golf - and its loot - 'loved' by most of the world

Phil Mickelson believes he is on the "winning side" of the split in professional men's golf and that the game is "lucky" to have investment from Saudi Arabia.

Mickelson’s previous admission that the Saudis were "scary m***********s" to get involved with had threatened the launch of LIV Golf, the breakaway circuit of 54-hole, 48-man events funded by the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund.

The six-time major winner subsequently apologised and also pledged to keep his opinions to himself going forward, but did not hold back ahead of the seventh event in the LIV Golf Invitational Series in Jeddah.

"The game of golf is very lucky to have the PIF invest in the game," Mickelson said in a press conference at Royal Greens Country Club.

"The sport of golf is being influxed with billions of dollars now. And the ability to go global and make golf a truly global sport is really beneficial for the game.

"Now the United States and the UK are not favourable to this, but everywhere else in the world LIV Golf is loved. And eventually they come around and they will be accepting of it.

"I see LIV Golf trending upwards, I see the PGA Tour trending downwards, and I love the side that I'm on"

"The United States and the UK, where it’s very negatively viewed currently, that has been changing and evolving already and in time in a few years it will be not only accepted but appreciated, the involvement and the influx of capital into this sport and what it’s doing."

While the likes of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas have made it clear their loyalty lies with the established Tours, LIV Golf’s massive prize funds and signing bonuses has attracted the likes of Mickelson, Open champion Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.

"For a long,