Phil Mickelson Tells Sports Illustrated about His Gambling Problem

After many years of fighting his gambling problem, American golf player Phil Mickelson talks about his gambling issues publicly in an honest interview for Sports Illustrated.

Mickelson’s struggles with addiction were first touched upon in the biography of the famous golfer written by Alan Shipnuck. According to Shipnuck’s book called “Phil”, Mickelson allegedly lost over $40 million in high-stake gambling in a period of just four years.

Mickelson’s journey away from addiction

There have been speculations that Mickelson’s recent announcement that he is returning to professional golf is due to financial difficulties caused by his irresponsible gambling. However, the player dismisses these rumors. He acknowledges that he has been gambling for a long time and that this habit turned into addiction about 10 years ago. Mickelson says: “My gambling got to a point of being reckless and embarrassing. I had to address it.”

The superstar golf player points out that he has been dealing with his issues for a while and has been going to therapy for many years now. He feels good about where his life is now and says he has achieved a good balance where his gambling is no longer a threat to his and his family’s financial security. Mickelson is very grateful to his wife Amy who has been very supportive of him throughout the whole process. He notes that the hardest thing about addiction was the anxiety he felt.

Mickelson’s future career plans

During the past four months, Mickelson did not make any public appearances and did not play any tournaments because of the controversy associated with the LIV Golf Series. This led to him missing two major championships but he elaborates that the four mounts have given him time to reflect, be more present, and spend more time with his wife and family.

He regrets the mistakes he has made in the past but feels energized and excited to start playing golf again. When he talks about his plans of participating in all eight LIV Golf series events he stresses that he is looking forward to the new opportunities both on and off the golf course: “I think after doing this for 30 years, I’m excited about something new and this different format.”

51-year-old Phil Mickelson is an American professional golf player with a 30-years-long sports career behind his back who now plays on the LIV Tour. He used to play on the PGA tour where he won 45 events, including six major championships. By winning the 2021 PGA Championship at 50 years old, Mickelson became the oldest player to win a major golf championship.