Phil Mickelson Admits He's Too 'Divisive' To Be U.S. Ryder Cup Captain In 2025, Which Is Awfully Big Of Him
When it was announced over a decade ago that Bethpage Black would be hosting the 2024 Ryder Cup - which turned into the 2025 Ryder Cup due to the pandemic - many were quick to circle Phil Mickelson's name as a top candidate to captain the U.S. side. Fast-forward to today, and most of those same people don't want to see Mickelson on the property next year.
Mickelson played a key role in disrupting professional golf as we've known it for decades. As a 'founding father' of LIV Golf, and burning the many bridges he built with the PGA Tour, Mickelson quickly went from being one of the most beloved golfers of all time to an enemy in the eyes of many.
As things currently stand in the ever-changing world of professional golf and with the damage he's been held to be responsible for, Mickelson serving as a Ryder Cup captain in 2025 will not happen.
Phil Mickelson knows he won't be the Ryder Cup captain for the U.S. in 2025. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
Mickelson fully understands that reality, and to his credit, he doesn't think he'd be the right man to lead the U.S. squad at Bethpage Black anyway.
“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, and I understand that," Mickelson told Pat McAfee.
“The players on the PGA Tour, there’s a lot of hostilities towards me, and I don’t feel I’d be the best leader for them. I knew I was going to take some hits . I’m OK with that,” he continued. “And as a divisive individual. I don’t think I’m the best unifier going forward for the Ryder Cup and that’s that’s fine because I’ve had so many great memories with it.”
A previous version of Mickelson would have stuck his neck out and stated his case about why he'd be the perfect captain in 2025, but after what has now been consecutive years of being able to gauge feelings around him, he's fully aware that his days of being a part of the U.S. Ryder Cup team in any capacity are likely behind him.
If the PGA Tour - Saudi PIF merger comes to fruition and there is some sort of coming together between the Tour and LIV then you could maybe make the argument that Mickelson being a part of the 2025 team in some capacity could serve as the start of some sort of 'truce' in professional golf, but at this point it feels like the chances of any of that happening are slim to none.
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