TULSA, Okla. – Tuesday’s past champions' dinner at the PGA Championship felt distinctly surreal with this year’s defending champion Phil Mickelson opting out of both the championship and the annual dinner.
Mickelson found himself at the center of a growing divide in professional golf when he was quoted on the Fire Pit Collective website criticizing both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, which is threatening to create a rival league. Lefty said at the time he was stepping away from the game and hasn’t played since.
At the PGA Championship, he would have hosted the past champions' dinner, picked the menu and provided gifts to those in attendance.