“I just saw what some people sent me” - Jordan Spieth says people are ‘surprised’ by Phil Mickelson's gambling allegations

Jordan Spieth seems shocked about Phil Mickelson’s latest $1,000,000,000 gambling allegations. The 2023 FedEx St. Jude Championship leader on Thursday said that many people “were maybe a bit surprised” by it. However, the PGA Tour star held back from strongly commenting on the matter.

While players like Rory McIlroy took jibes at Mickelson over the controversy, Spieth took a different approach when asked about it. Speaking after his round at TPC Southwind in Memphis, the 30-year-old said that he “hasn’t really seen a whole lot on it.” While admitting that he saw stuff people sent him, Spieth stated that it ‘isn’t a good idea’ to comment on the matter yet.

Replying to a query regarding the gambling allegations on Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth said:

“I mean, I would say people were maybe a bit surprised at the amount of -- I haven't really seen a whole lot on it. I just saw what some people sent me and stuff, and it was so quick this morning that even if I wanted to comment, I don't think it's a good idea.”

It is pertinent to note that Mickelson sprung to the spotlight on Thursday after excerpts from famed gambler Billy Walters’ book Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk surfaced online. According to the book, set to be published next week, the LIV Golfer would have wagered more than $1 billion, with losses of about $100 million, between 2010 and 2014.

According to Waltes, he and Mickelson teamed up in 2008 to place coordinated bets and found loopholes to gamble huge amounts. The book and its content on Mickelson have shocked the golf world.

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Rory McIlroy takes a jibe at Phil Mickelson

Unlike Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy took a straight approach and slammed Phil Mickelson over the allegations. The Irishman, known for his opposing views on LIV Golf, took note of the upcoming book’s claims that Mickelson wanted to bet $400,000 on the US winning against Europe in the 2012 Ryder Cup.

Addressing the allegations, McIlroy said Mickelson could try to bet on the Ryder Cup this year as the latter won’t feature in it.

Speaking after his round at the 2023 FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, McIlroy said:

"At least he can bet on the Ryder Cup this year because he won't be a part of it."

It is pertinent to note that Mickelson has denied Walters' claims. Speaking at the pre-event interview for the LIV Golf Bedminster, the six-time major winner said that he would “never bet on the Ryder Cup” and “never undermine the integrity of the game”.

The book in question, Billy Walters’ book Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk, is set to release on August 22nd. It'll be interesting to see if the book reveals more details on Phil Mickelson's gambling exploits.