Phil Mickelson shouldn’t be Ryder Cup captain, says Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson has played down speculation that he could be the man to lead the USA into next year’s Ryder Cup match at Bethpage.

Mickelson, 53, has been touted in some quarters as a possible successor to Zach Johnson as the United States looks to avenge its defeat at the hands of Luke Donald’s European side in Rome last September.

However, in an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, the six-time major champion poured cold water on the rumours, conceding that he is not to right man to captain the side.

“I’ve had 12 or 13 opportunities to be a part of the Ryder Cup, 12 as a player, one as a vice-captain,” said Mickelson. “I’ve loved every minute of it and cherish those moments and those life experiences.

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“I don’t feel I’m the right guy to be involved with the team because I’m a very divisive character right now if you will. I understand that, the players on the PGA Tour, there’s a lot of hostility towards me and I don’t feel I’d be the right leader for them going forward.

“I think that as the Ryder Cup captain, you have to be kind of a unifier and have these relationships solidified and be somebody that you want to follow.”

Nobody has made more appearances in the biennial clash than Mickelson. Indeed, last year’s contest was the first in which he didn’t have an involvement in at least some capacity since the 1993 match at The Belfry – coincidentally, the last time the US won on European soil.

However, he also has one of the worst Ryder Cup records of all time and holds the dubious record of most defeats in the match, with 22 from 47 matches.

Nonetheless, he was heavily fancied to lead the side on at least one occasion. That was until he joined LIV Golf in June 2022.

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“I’ve been very divisive and I’m okay with that,” he added. “I knew that was going to be the case. I knew it was going to take a couple of years and I was going to take a lot of hits but I believe that it is in the best interests of the game of golf to present it in a different way and to a younger crowd, and to try to stop a problem that is coming up quickly, which is the age demographic of our fans.

“I also believe that it’s going to be a better thing for professionals themselves. Some of the things behind the scenes, that I don’t need to get into the details of, the pay structure and the rights of the players and so forth, I think those are going to be solved going forward and I think [LIV] is a different product that I really believe in.

“So I knew I was going to take some hits going forward. I’m okay with that and, as a divisive individual, I don’t think I’m the right unifier going forward for the Ryder Cup and that’s fine because I’ve had so many great memories with it. It’s time for other people to be able to create their own memories, opportunities and life experiences that the Ryder Cup provides.”

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor