Phil Mickelson er blevet hovedperson i en gevaldig mediestorm, der nåede nærmest orkanstyrke i sidste uge, da udtalelser i et interview fra november med journalisten Alen Shipnuck blev offentliggjort.
I interviewet fornærmer Mickelson både PGA Tour og de mennesker, som han er dybt involveret i et samarbejde med omkring Greg Normans påståede Super Golf League. Han kalder saudiaraberne for ‘scary motherfuckers’, og anklager dem for både drabet på journalisten Jamal Khashoggi (hvilket jo trods alt ikke er bevist) og for at henrette homoseksuelle. PGA Tour kalder han for grådige og erkender at han har været dybt involveret i udformningen af en udbryder tour.
De udtalelser gav øjeblikkeligt bagslag. Både Bryson DeChambeau og Dustin Johnson, som længe har lignet Super Golf Leagues absolutte kransekagefigurer, erklærede deres støtte til PGA Tour, og spillere som Rory McIlroy og Justin Thomas var skånselsløse i deres kritik af Mickelson, som de kaldte for både ‘egoistisk’ og ‘ignorant’.
Mister storsponsor
Nu har Phil Mickelson skrevet en lang uforbeholden undskyldning, som sent tirsdag blev offentliggjort på de sociale medier. Her beklager han sine ‘hensynsløse’ udtalelser, og undskylder overfor de mennesker han har svigtet. Han skriver at han har den største respekt for alle dem han har samarbejdet med gennem sine mere end 30 år på touren, og at han de senere år har været under stærkt pres og trænger til en pause.
Samtidig med Mickelsons undskyldning – som kan læses i sin helhed i bunden af denne artikel – meddelte revisionsselskabet KPMG, som i adskillige år har været en af Mickelsons primære sponsorer, at de ‘efter fælles overenskomst’ har afbrudt samarbejdet med Mickelson med øjeblikkelig virkning. KPMG vil fortsat støtte golfsporten, både individuelle spillere og som titelsponsor for LPGA Tours Women’s PGA Championship.
Der tegner sig et billede af en Phil Mickelson i frit fald fra tinderne, og som er i gang med totalt at ødelægge sit eftermæle.
Herunder kan man læse hele Phil Mickelsons undskyldning:
“Although it doesn’t look this way now given my recent comments, my actions throughout this process have always been with the best interest of golf, my peers, sponsors, and fans. There is the problem of off record comments being shared out of context and without my consent, but the bigger issue is that I used words I sincerely regret that do not reflect my true feelings or intentions. It was reckless, I offended people, and I am deeply sorry for my choice of words. I’m beyond disappointed and will make every effort to self-reflect and learn from this.
“Golf desperately needs change, and real change is always preceded by disruption. I have always known that criticism would come with exploring anything new. I still chose to put myself at the forefront of this to inspire change, taking the hits publicly to do the work behind the scenes.
“My experience with LIV Golf Investments has been very positive. I apologize for anything I said that was taken out of context. The specific people I have worked with are visionaries and have only been supportive. More importantly they passionately love golf and share my drive to make the game better. They have a clear plan to create an updated and positive experience for everyone including players, sponsors, networks, and fans.
“I have incredible partners, and these relationships mean so much more to me than a contract. Many have been my most influential mentors and I consider all to be lifelong friends. The last thing I would ever want to do is compromise them or their business in any way, and I have given all of them the option to pause or end the relationship as I understand it might be necessary given the current circumstances. I believe in these people and companies and will always be here for them with or without a contract.
“I have made a lot of mistakes in my life and many have been shared with the public. My intent was never to hurt anyone and I’m so sorry to the people I have negatively impacted. This has always been about supporting the players and the game and I appreciate all the people who have given me the benefit of the doubt.
“Despite my belief that some changes have already been made within the overall discourse, I know I need to be accountable. For the past 31 years I have lived a very public life and I have strived to live up to my own expectations, be the role model the fans deserve, and be someone that inspires others. I’ve worked to compete at the highest level, be available to media, represent my sponsors with integrity, engage with volunteers and sign every autograph for my incredible fans. I have experienced many successful and rewarding moments that I will always cherish, but I have often failed myself and others too. The past 10 years I have felt the pressure and stress slowly affecting me at a deeper level. I know I have not been my best and desperately need some time away to prioritize the ones I love most and work on being the man I want to be.”.
Foto: Getty Images
