Phil Mickelson responds to PGA Tour’s Tiger Woods appointment

Phil Mickelson has been one of the PGA Tour’s most fervent critics in recent months – but he has supported his former circuit’s appointment of Tiger Woods.

Mickelson’s old rival Woods has joined the PGA Tour policy board as a sixth Player Director in a direct move to improve transparency after the controversial top-secret merger with LIV Golf.

Woods – still out of action following subtalar fusion surgery in April – will work alongside the PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan to ensure players have more of a say in decision-making going forward.

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The 15-time major champion is yet to comment about the framework agreement with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, but has now been added to the board which already includes Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, Charley Hoffman, Webb Simpson and Peter Malnati.

LIV golfer Mickelson, who has previously berated the PGA Tour’s lack of transparency, has welcomed the Woods addition as a positive step for the circuit.

“This is great to see,” the six-time major winner wrote on Twitter. “Players having equal representation on the board, Tiger getting more involved, and accountability across the board. Awesome news.”

Woods and the five other pros are joined on the policy board by Ed Herlihy, Jimmy Dunne, Mark Flaherty, Mary Meeker and PGA of America director John Lindert.

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Meanwhile, a replacement is due to be announced for Randall Stephenson, who resigned from his position with “serious concerns” about the Saudi deal.

“I am honoured to represent the players of the PGA Tour,” Woods said in a statement on Tuesday.

“This is a critical point for the Tour, and the players will do their best to make certain that any changes that are made in Tour operations are in the best interest of all Tour stakeholders, including fans, sponsors and players.

“The players thank Commissioner Monahan for agreeing to address our concerns, and we look forward to being at the table with him to make the right decisions for the future of the game that we all love. He has my confidence moving forward with these changes.”

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.