A telltale sign that your time is up is when fans would rather see you outside the ropes than inside. Phil Mickelson is getting that vibe. At 54, the HyFlyers captain has only one top-20 finish in LIV Golf this season. That too came in March. All in all, Lefty has barely scraped three top-10s in as many seasons on the PIF-funded side.
Standing at 44 in the LIV’s season-long standings, Phil Mickelson is dangerously close to the drop zone. But as the HyFlyers captain, he is immune to the axe that falls on the bottom eight players. However, if this continues, Mickelson won’t think twice before stepping aside.
“I see glimpses and my teammates see glimpses of me being where I expect to be able to compete at this level, but I’m also realistic with myself, and if I’m not able to, I’ll step aside and let somebody come on in and take the HyFlyers to new levels,” Lefty said in a recent interview, which also brings us to Tiger Woods.
The 15-time major champion has received suggestions of retirement a couple of times. At times, in the form of delicate proposals, Otherwise, as blunt assessments, most recently from Colin Montgomerie, however, Tiger Woods didn’t take time to release his claws when the comments were brought in front of him.
Answering a question on his retirement, Woods said, “I’ll play as long as I can play and I feel like I can still win the event [the Open Championship].” The 82-time PGA Tour winner feels there is still some fire left in him. Fans don’t. They don’t see even an amber in his game.
Tiger Woods needs to follow Phil Mickelson; fans vent their frustration
While Phil Mickelson has made two cuts in four majors this year, Woods made only one. It’s not as much about his form as it is about his body. The 15-time major champion accepted that it’s a ‘pick-your-poison’ kind of situation. Nevertheless, Woods is still willing to give it another spin before calling it quits.
However, netizens feel that the outcome will be the same. Furthermore, they opine that even Tiger Woods knows it, but can’t accept the harsh truth. One of them vehemently attacked the 48-year-old, saying, “Unlike Tiger, he [Mickelson] recognizes that it’s over. Tiger still has too much Ambien in his system to take the L.” Another simply proclaimed, “Phil >Tiger.”
Some, citing Mickelson’s current form, suggested 2024 should be his last year. They equated the six-time major winner with Tiger Woods. “He’s finished, kind of like Tiger, not willing to admit he’s done!” Mickelson, though, has spoken on retirement previously as well.
In May, the 54-year-old told Bloomberg TV, “I’m 53 now and my career, you know, if I’m being truthful it’s toward its end. Now, I would like to help others find the same enjoyment and fulfilment that the game of golf has provided me.”
Some reluctantly accepted that it was about time. “Hate (to) see Phil hang it up but he has had a great career. Regardless of when he goes. Tiger needs to follow suit.” “Wish Tiger would admit the exact same thing,” another echoed similar thoughts.
Tiger Woods is certainly not the first player to rumble about ignoring the detractors. Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal: examples are aplenty. But unlike Ronaldo and Messi, who have moved away from top-tier European soccer, Woods is still out in the open. Like Federer and Nadal, his follies and foibles are all too public to look at from the other side. So, as long as the former world No. 1 decides to play, he has to wear the criticism as a shield.
