McIlroy didn’t spare Mickelson.
Phil Mickelson has hit the headlines recently with his former gambling partner Billy Walters revealing all in a soon-to-be-released book – ‘Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk.’
Previously partners, Mickelson and Walters now appear to be stuck in a bitter feud.
In the book, Walters, a renowned Amercian sports bettor, revealed how Mickelson wagered “a total of more than $1 billion during the past three decades.”
He also controversially mentions how, during the 2012 Ryder Cup, Mickelson phoned him and asked him to bet $400,000 on America beating Europe in the competition. Walters says that he didn’t place the bet, instead asking Mickelson if he had “lost his f*cking mind.”
“I told him Don’t you remember what happened to Pete Rose?’ The former Cincinnati Reds manager who was banned from baseball for betting on his own team.”
The partnership between Mickelson and Walters ended in 2014 and their relationship has soured greatly in the years that have followed.
Walters was sent to prison for insider trading in 2017 – his sentence subsequently pardoned by then President of the United States, Donald Trump, in 2021 – and he says that Mickelson refused to tell a ‘simple truth’ that ‘could have kept him out of prison’.
McIlroy was asked about the furore after his first round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship and he landed a tasty one on Mickelson.
“At least he can bet on the Ryder Cup this year,” said McIlroy, “because he won’t be a part of it.”
Rory McIlroy comments on book excerpts detailing gambling allegations regarding Phil Mickelson. pic.twitter.com/QhqUxaGMo2
— Golfweek (@golfweek) August 10, 2023
Mickelson has since denied Walters’ allegations. “I never bet on the Ryder Cup. While it is well known that I always enjoy a friendly wager on the course, I would never undermine the integrity of the game,” he said in a statement.
McIlroy and Mickelson have previously clashed over issues regarding Mickelson’s defection to the LIV tour in recent times. It’s that move which, effectively, has ended the American’s Ryder Cup career…
Related links:
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- Full Swing: Best quotes, weirdest moments and wildest finishes from new Netflix documentary
- “I’m living in reality, I don’t know where he’s living” – Rory McIlroy on Patrick Reed feud
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