Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Luke Jennings

Phil Mickelson bites back at Rory McIlroy criticism

Phil Mickelson demonstrated over the Memorial Tournament weekend that his tweeting binge knows no bounds.

At Muirfield Village, where Si Woo Kim and David Lipsky and Rory McIlroy were tied for the lead after 54 holes, the six-time major champion took a strong shot at McIlroy, who ended up finishing in a tie for seventh as Viktor Hovland won after beating Denny McCarthy in a play-off.

In a tweet, Mickelson said he would have preferred more vacation time to rest and get ready for the 2023 PGA Tour schedule.

READ MORE: Rory McIlroy prize money after 7th placed finish at Memorial Tournament

McIlroy won the CJ Cup at the end of October, which marked his final PGA Tour appearance of the previous season. Three months later, he made his next start in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, which he also won.

He has finished in the top seven three times, most recently at the PGA Championship behind Brooks Koepka, despite stating that he would like more time off.

“We’ve all been advocating for an off-season. it’s very hard to try and play your best golf when you’re really thinking about your golf swing," McIlroy said.

“That off-season time would be nice to work on your mechanics and your fundamentals, so you’ve got those bedded in so you can roll going into the bulk of the season.

“I didn’t feel like I had the necessary time to do that. You want to take some time off over the holidays to get yourself back into it.

“Problem is I don’t think there’s a team that wants him on it because they’d have to deal with all his bs.”

Mickelson stated that LIV Golf, which has fewer tournaments to play and obligations to fulfil, is "the best way to be your best in majors."

Only 14 events will be held on Greg Norman's rebel tour in 2023, and there was a four-month break between the beginning of this season and the conclusion of its debut season in 2022.

Not all of his social media posts this past week were as prominent as his jab at McIlroy.

The 52-year-old even suggested yesterday that Brandel Chamblee and NBC analyst Piers Morgan engage in a debate at LIV's London event later this month.

Another person who inquired about Mickelson's history of gambling addiction received the following response from him, “haven’t gambled in years. Almost a billionaire now. Thanks for asking.”

READ NEXT:

Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.