Phil Mickelson says that he has managed to shed one of his vices, and that his net worth is nearing $1 billion.
The revelation came amid a Twitter flurry from Mickelson, and this particular thread started with Golf Channel analyst Eamon Lynch writing an op/ed for USA Today’s Golfweek that accused Mickelson of being a “shameless pawn” for the Saudi regime after joining LIV Golf on a deal reportedly worth about $200 million.
Lynch and his fellow Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee have been beating this drum for quite some time, and recently Brooks Koepka’s coach, Claude Harmon III, ripped them for hypocrisy in working for NBC, which aired recent Olympics from Russia and China.
“I was right (again),” Mickelson responded to Lynch’s op/ed, “Eamon comes to Brandel’s defense. You both have an obsession with me (and LIV) that requires professional help. Wishing you both all the best with that.”
A parody account for disgraced former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling interjected, “Speaking of professional help, how is your gambling addiction?”
To this, Mickelson responded, “Haven’t gambled in years. Almost a billionaire now. Thanks for asking.”
Another Twitter user didn’t believe Mickelson, writing, “Gotta call bs here. This means Phil doesn’t play for money on practice rounds and casual rounds. That is gambling.”
Mickelson acknowledged there was an asterisk.
“There is an * then. We cap it at 1k. I would argue that’s creating competition. But certainly you could argue otherwise,” Mickelson tweeted.
Last year, Mickelson opened up about the depths of his gambling problem.
“My gambling got to a point of being reckless and embarrassing. I had to address it. And I’ve been addressing it for a number of years. And for hundreds of hours of therapy. I feel good where I’m at there. My family and I are and have been financially secure for some time,” Mickelson told Sports Illustrated.
“Gambling has been part of my life ever since I can remember. But about a decade ago is when I would say it became reckless. It’s embarrassing. I don’t like that people know. The fact is I’ve been dealing with it for some time. Amy has been very supportive of it and with me and the process. We’re at a place after many years where I feel comfortable with where that is. It isn’t a threat to me or my financial security. It was just a number of poor decisions.’’
Mickelson’s biographer Alan Shipnuck claimed that the golfer had lost $40 million in a four-year stretch between 2010 and 2014.
