Phil Mickelson - The 'Best Solution' Is For PGA Tour And LIV To Work Together

Since LIV Golf staged its first event at Centurion Club, Phil Mickelson has been one of the main positive spokesmen for the series. Now, following the first round of its fifth installment, the six-time Major winner has once again had his say, with Lefty stating that "LIV Golf is here to stay" and that "this type of divisive talk is doing nobody good."

Following the first tee shots in Hertfordshire back in June, the PGA Tour has subsequently banned all players who have teed it up in one of the Saudi-backed tournaments, with many LIV golfers calling out the Tour for its actions.

WHAT IS LIV GOLF?

Previously, Lee Westwood called the PGA Tour "bullies" who are "now getting their comeuppance." Prior to his words, the Tour announced a number of changes to combat the threat of LIV Golf, primarily centering around money and scheduling. 

However, speaking at Rich Harvest Farms outside Chicago, Mickelson believes that the best solution to the squabble is for the two to come together. "The PGA Tour for the last 20 or 30 years have had all the best players in the world," states the 52-year-old.

"That will never be the case again. LIV Golf is here to stay, and this type of divisive talk is doing nobody good. The best solution is for us to come together. I think that the world of professional golf has a need for the old, historical history of the game product that the PGA Tour provides, and I think that LIV provides a really cool, updated feel that is attracting a lot younger crowd, and that's being proven in the people that are watching and the age of the people that are watching.

"I think both are needed for the game of golf. Both are good for the game of golf. The inclusion of LIV Golf in the ecosystem of the golf world is necessary. As soon as that happens and we all start working together, that's going to be a really positive thing for everyone."

Mickelson's words, though, haven't been echoed by the series' CEO, Greg Norman, who recently stated to an Australian newspaper that: "This notion we're trying to destroy tours is not true. The PGA Tour is trying to destroy us, it's as simple as that."

The 67-year-old added: "The PGA Tour has not sat down and had a conversation with myself or any of my investors. We tried awfully hard, I know I did personally for the past year. When we knew we were never going to hear from them, we just decided to go. We have no interest in sitting down with them, to be honest with you, because our product is working."

Currently, LIV Golf is without World Ranking points and a major TV broadcaster. Both these areas are crucial for the success of the series, with Norman claiming that the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) will become obsolete if they don’t include LIV Golf players.

“It makes OWGR look obsolete if they don’t (accept LIV)," he stated. "If they wake up at the end of the year and Dustin Johnson is 102 in the world, is that not a laughing stock to the OWGR? There’s two ways they can go: they can either fold, or they include LIV into OWGR.”

Regarding the TV rights, it was recently reported by Front Office Sports that inside sources have Fox Sports as the current favorite to secure LIV Golf media rights, with Norman claiming that "the interest coming across our plate right now is enormous."