Phil Mickelson says LIV on rise and PGA Tour trending downward

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

Mickelson had said a month ago that while the PGA Tour had all the best players in the world for the last 20 to 30 years, that would never be the case again.

He came out even stronger in a news conference for the LIV Golf Invitational-Jeddah, which starts Friday at Royal Greens in King Abdullah Economic City.

«I think going forward you have to pick a side. 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,» Mickelson said.

«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.»

Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau were among several major champions Saudi-funded LIV Golf signed to contracts reported to be in the $125 million range.

LIV Golf currently has 12 of the top 50 players in the world ranking — British Open champion Cameron Smith at No. 2 is the highest, while the majority of them are outside the top 25 because LIV Golf hasn't received world ranking points since it began in June.

The PGA Tour still has a majority of the current stars — 19 of the top 20 — and starts a new schedule in 2023 that will