AUGUSTA – The expected atmosphere at the Masters Tournament Champions Dinner has been garnering attention for several weeks due to the volatile relationship between LIV Golf and PGA Tour members. Just hours after last night’s event, initial reactions began to seep in from the 34 guests. With the huge elephant in the room, Phil Mickelson remained silent.
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This is what the champions Fuzzy Zoeller (1979) and Tommy Aaron (1973), related to the specialized magazine GolfWeek.
“We are just 33 champions in this room trying to fraternize. No one brought the subject of LIV to the table. Phil was sitting near the end of the table and he didn’t say a word,” Zoeller said.
In the official photo, Mickelson is seen in the background, next to Bubba Watson, a fellow at LIV Golf. Without wanting to look for lice unnecessarily, four of the five representatives of the Saudi-funded circuit were gathered to the right of the family portrait.
“I wish him well, but I can’t believe how quiet he was. He was erased and he didn’t say a word,” added Aaron about the 52-year-old golfer who has several difficulties in his game.
Stormy relationships
Earlier in the day, Tiger Woods had told colleague Todd Lewis of the Golf Channel network that he, like Crenshaw and Mike Weir, expected a rather strange evening.
“There will be a gorilla in the room. Of course, what LIV Golf has done to the sport and a few players will indeed be apparent. Players and champions have also moved on,” said the five-time winner and powerful voice in favor of the PGA Tour.
The controversy has been brewing for nearly a year. During the 2022 edition of the Masters, LIV had not yet taken off. Since then, it’s been a war. Apart from the poison arrows fired in the media and on social media between the two factions, the PGA Tour and LIV are engaged in furious legal proceedings. These have among others splashed the Augusta National.
Still, the Augusta National decided to honor its traditions and invite LIV golfers who met the selection criteria.
During the evening organized in honor of the champion Scottie Scheffler, Ben Crenshaw and the president of the Augusta National, Fred S. Ridley, spoke. They never alluded to this war that is shaking the world of professional golf, according to Zoeller and Aaron.
Mickelson’s refusal
As is also the tradition, former champions are invited to a press conference before the start of the tournament. This week, only Cameron Smith, winner of the British Open, spoke in the room provided for this purpose among the 18 representatives of LIV on the set.
According to information gleaned from Augusta National, golfers are invited according to certain criteria, including their Masters record, their world performance and their qualification for the tournament.
Mickelson had been a regular at this meeting for 20 years. He would have declined the committee’s invitation, according to information from colleague Mark Cannizzaro, of the New York Post.
Nice week
It should be remembered that the famous left-hander, winner of three green jackets, had skipped the prestigious tournament in Georgia last year. He had distanced himself from the sport due to inflammatory statements made to Alan Shipnuck about the PGA Tour, his defection to LIV and Saudi Arabia. He then called the Saudi leaders “scary motherfuckers”.
Back at the Washington Road club, he wears his team clothes in LIV. He roams with his companions on the new circuit in training.
During the day on Tuesday, Lefty signaled that he is having the greatest week of the year during a press briefing at the edge of the Big Oak Tree. With a gray complexion and an emaciated face, he limited his responses to the tournament. However, he expected to have fun at the dinner of champions.
“It’s nice to be back. Everyone is nice. This is class, he emitted.
“The good thing about winning on this course is that you are part of the event and the history of the tournament. It’s very special.”
He will start the first round at 12:24 p.m. tomorrow, accompanied by Tom Hoge and Si Woo Kim.
