Piers Morgan has leapt to the defence of American golf star Phil Mickelson. The 51-year-old is set to miss the upcoming Masters event for the first time in 28 years.
Following his controversial comments regarding a potential Saudi-backed golf Super League to rival the PGA Tour, the six-time major winner is taking a break from the sport. He last played in the Saudi International tournament last month and will miss the first major of the year - having been listed as a 'past champion not playing'.
Mickelson has come under severe criticism following his outspoken quotes on the Saudi Super League but Morgan, an avid golf fan, backed the American and said his treatment was both unfair and unnecessary. “Golf’s ongoing cancellation of Phil Mickelson has now forced him out of the Masters,’” he wrote on Twitter.
“You don’t have to agree with the things he said recently, for which he apologised, to think this is now turning into an unedifying sporting crucifixion. I’ll play with you.” Last month the American had accused the PGA Tour of acting like a ‘dictatorship’ and admitted he was using the possibility of a breakaway tournament to ‘reshape’ how the Tour is run.
The three-time Masters champion has since apologised for his comments and admits he ‘seriously regrets’ his choice of words. "It was reckless, I offended people, and I am deeply sorry for my choice of words. I'm beyond disappointed and will make every effort to self-reflect and learn from this,” he wrote in a statement.
"I have made a lot of mistakes in my life and many have been shared with the public. My intent was never to hurt anyone and I'm so sorry to the people I have negatively impacted.” His comments have had further ramifications, as two of his main sponsors in Callaway and Workday, pulled the plug on their connection with him for the time being.
Callaway revealed in a statement that they had ‘paused’ their relationship with the six-time major winner due to his recent comments. The company said: “Callaway does not condone Phil Mickelson’s comments and we were very disappointed in his choice of words – they in no way reflect our values or what we stand for as a company.
“Phil has since apologised and we know he regrets how he handled recent events. We recognise his desire to take some time away from the game and respect that decision. “At this time, we have agreed to pause our partnership and will re-evaluate our ongoing relationship at a later date.” Callaway and Workday joined both KPMG and Amstel Light in cutting their ties with the 45-time PGA Tour winner.
