Phil Mickelson's LIV Golf future in doubt as he nears end of playing contract

Six-time major champion Phil Mickelson had a great game last week on the LIV Golf circuit. He finished in a tie for sixth at LIV Jeddah, which is his best performance so far.

Mickelson played a bogey-free three-under-par 67 in the final round on Sunday. His birdies came at the third, 10th and 18th holes. This saw him finish the Saudi-based tournament at 10-under, tying with other stars like Talor Gooch, Adrian Meronk and Jason Kokrak. Even though he finished seven shots behind the champion, Joaquin Niemann, it was a much-needed top-10 finish for Mickelson. Since joining the breakaway league in June 2022, he hasn't been in good form.

In 23 LIV Golf events, the former PGA Tour legend has only had three top-10's. His previous two were at Bedminster in 2023, and Chicago the year before, reports the Mirror. Last month, a report from Mickelson's biographer, Alan Shipnuck, suggested that Mickelson's playing days on the LIV setup could soon be over.

The report said that Mickelson's next LIV contract - which expires at the end of 2025 - might be a non-playing one. Despite not being able to replicate his all-time great form from his time on the PGA Tour, Mickelson showed last April that he can still compete with the best.

Jon Rahm, the newly-signed star of LIV, was crowned Masters champion 11 months ago, while Mickelson enjoyed a Sunday surge up the leaderboard, reminding us of his glory days. He finished with an impressive seven-under-par final round 65, tying for second place with fellow LIV member Brooks Koepka, four behind Rahm.

Mickelson had been experiencing a bit of a slump on the LIV circuit prior to his runner-up finish last Spring, failing to make the top-25 in all three of his appearances before heading to the first