Golfer Phil Mickelson's Saudi Comments Lead To La Quinta Breakup

LA QUINTA, CA — Phil Mickelson and The American Express PGA Tour event in La Quinta have parted ways over the pro golfer's apparent earlier support for an upstart golf league that has financial backing from Saudi Arabia.

The Desert Sun broke the news over the weekend that the event will no longer have the Mickelson Foundation as its main charitable arm, and the champion will no longer host the tournament.

The divorce comes after the golfer's alleged comments in support of the league despite Saudi Arabia's human rights violations. The remarks were published ahead of a forthcoming unauthorized biography of Mickelson by writer Alan Shipnuck.

The Saudis are “scary mother (expletive)s to get involved with," Mickelson allegedly told Shipnuck. "We know they killed (Washington Post columnist Jamal) Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates.”

Shipnuck's book, Phil: The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorized!) Biography of Golf's Most Colorful Superstar (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster), will be released May 17.

Mickelson, 51, has since apologized for his comments.

In a lengthy statement posted to social media on Feb. 23, Mickelson wrote that he "used words I sincerely regret. It was reckless, I offended people, and I am deeply sorry for my choice of words."

In his statement, Mickelson said he was stepping away from the sport to spend time with loved ones and to "work on being the man I want to be. I'm beyond disappointed and will make every effort to self-reflect and learn from this."

Mickelson also said he supported change within the PGA Tour.

"Golf desperately needs change, and real change is always preceded by disruption," Mickelson said in his statement. "I have always known that criticism would come with exploring anything new."

In an interview earlier this year with Golf Digest, Mickelson accused the PGA Tour of “obnoxious greed."

Sean Zak wrote a piece for Golf.com advocating change within the PGA. The article was titled, "For the PGA Tour to change, competition might be exactly what it needs."

"Counterintuitive as it may sound, the fledgling investment group that has long been rumored but only recently validated by the riches of Saudi Arabia — with goals to turn the PGA Tour on its side — will be a boost for pro golf as we know it," Zak wrote in the piece that published in November.

Despite some support for the upstart league, Mickelson's brushing aside of Saudi human rights violations has cost him. Callaway Golf, KPMG and Workday have parted ways with him, according to multiple published reports.

So too has the PGA Tour.

Mickelson first played in the La Quinta tournament in 1993 and won two titles there in 2002 and 2004. He has 45 PGA Tour titles in total and has won six major championships.