Phil Mickelson hints at further LIV Golf spending spree with hint over player signings

Phil Mickelson has hinted at more big-name signings for LIV Golf, suggesting that the breakaway league could be set for another significant spending spree in the off-season. As the LIV Golf season concludes with the Team Championship in Dallas this week, Mickelson revealed that interest from players on rival tours to make the switch to LIV is still strong.

Mickelson, who was one of the first major players to leave the PGA Tour and DP World Tour for LIV Golf two years ago, said that the interest in the Saudi-backed league has continued to grow. Last year, at LIV’s season finale in Miami, Mickelson spoke about how he had been in contact with several players interested in joining the controversial tour.

“The reality is, I’ve been fielding calls, as we all have, from players that are free agents to PGA Tour players to DP World Tour players that want to come over,” Mickelson shared last year, pointing to the growing appeal of the LIV setup.

One of the players Mickelson had mentioned at the time was James Piot, who was relegated from his spot on Mickelson’s HyFlyers team. Mickelson had hinted that Piot’s spot could be filled before the LIV qualifying tournament. He suggested that the spot might be taken by another player even sooner, based on the number of calls he and his team had received.

“And even if it is filled, there’s always the possibility of a trade to get him back. There’s ways this could work out. But I think there’s a good chance based on the number of calls that we’ve had that the spot will be filled fairly soon,” Mickelson said at the time. Shortly after, major stars like Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, and Adrian Meronk all left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf.

In the end, the free spot on Mickelson’s team was taken by Andy Ogletree, who earned his place after winning the Asian Tour’s International Series of Merit. Now, a year later, similar questions are being asked about player movement, as Mickelson addressed during Thursday’s pre-tournament press conference. When asked if there had been similar interest from players on opposing tours this year, Mickelson simply responded, “Yes.” However, he was unwilling to share further details, replying with a firm “No” when asked to elaborate.

For now, Mickelson’s focus is on the upcoming team championship, where his HyFlyers team will face a tough quarter-final challenge against an in-form Torque GC. The Torque side, led by Chilean star Joaquin Niemann, has been one of the most successful teams in the LIV Golf series this year. Niemann, who has won two events in 2024, narrowly missed out on the individual title in Chicago to Jon Rahm, having led the standings for most of the year.

Speaking ahead of the match, Mickelson praised Niemann and the Torque team. “I really like the team of Torque. I think they’re an incredible team. Joaco is one of the best players in the game, and I’ve had a chance to play with him a number of times this year, and it’s just impressive watching him play,” Mickelson said. He added that the rest of Niemann’s team are “really good guys and solid players,” acknowledging the challenge ahead for his HyFlyers team.

Despite a difficult season, Mickelson expressed optimism that his team could rise to the occasion and showcase their abilities against one of LIV’s strongest sides. “Our team is looking forward to the challenge, and we haven’t had the year that we wanted to this year. This is an opportunity for us to showcase what we’re able to do against one of the really strong teams in the league,” Mickelson concluded.