Phil Mickelson is teeing off against Rory McIlroy.
Mickelson responded on Twitter on Saturday to a video of McIlroy calling for an offseason in the PGA Tour, where Mickelson was a member for 30 years before his defection to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour last year.
“It’s very hard to try to play your best golf when you’re really thinking about your golf swing,” McIlroy said during a news conference at the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio. “That offseason time would be nice to work on your mechanics and fundamentals … so you can roll going into the bulk of the season. I didn’t feel like I had the necessary time to do that.”
The Twitter account @mrmckee posted the clip of McIlroy, who has been a vocal critic of LIV Golf. Mickelson replied, “As worn out as (Rory) McIlroy was after the Masters and his need for an off season, LIV would be perfect for him. 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.”
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Mickelson, a six-time major winner, finished in a tie for second at the 2023 Masters Tournament, while McIlroy, a four-time major champion, failed to make the cut at Augusta in April. McIlroy subsequently withdrew from the RBC Heritage event to mentally recharge the next week, which resulted in a $3 million dollar fine.