The second major of the year will tee off tomorrow, but the defending champion will not be on site as the PGA Championship gets underway at Southern Hills Country Club in Oklahoma.
Phil Mickelson won the tournament last year, becoming the oldest ever major winner in the process. However, he will not play in this week's event after taking a break from the sport due to his comments on the Saudi golf league.
The 51-year old has been one of the names most strongly connect to the controversial event, defending his decision to get involved as he saw it as an opportunity to 'reshape' the PGA Tour and comparing them to a 'dictatorship'.
Those comments did not go down well with other players on the tour, including Tiger Woods.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow's opening round of the PGA Championship, Wood said that while Mickelson will be missed this week, his opinion on the PGA Tour could not differ further from his own.
It’s always disappointing when the defending champion is not here.
Phil has said some things that I think a lot of us who are committed to the tour and committed to the legacy of the tour have pushed back against, and he’s taken some personal time, and we all understand that.
I think that some of his views on how the tour could be run, should be run, (there has) been a lot of disagreement there.
As a professional, we miss him being out here. He’s a big draw for the game of golf. He’s just taking his time and we all wish him the best when he comes back...
What we are seeing right now in society, it’s very bipolar. There’s really no middle ground, you stand one way or the other. It’s very polarising. And the viewpoints that Phil has made with the tour and what the tour has meant to all of us has been polarising as well.
I don’t know if he has to resolve it or not. He has his opinion on where he sees the game of golf going. I have my viewpoint how I see the game of golf.
I understand different viewpoints, but I believe in legacies. I believe in major championships. I believe in big events, comparisons to historical figures of the past. There’s plenty of money out here.
The tour is growing. But it’s just like any other sport. You have to go out there and earn it. It’s just not guaranteed (money) up front.
The first event in the 'LIV Golf' league was set to take place next month, although some doubt has been placed on that after the PGA Tour refused to release a number of players. The likes of Mickelson, Lee Westwood, and Sergio Garcia has requested to take part.
It remains uncertain as to when Mickelson will return to competition.
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