"I'm not a betting man as you know"- Phil Mickelson makes hilarious joke about his past gambling addiction

Phil Mickelson is at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland to play at The 2024 Open Championship. Mickelson has a long history of playing at this event, so it is common for him to be asked for his opinions on various topics.

During the television broadcasts this Wednesday, July 17, Phil Mickelson was interviewed about the best approach to take in the strong winds being reported at Royal Troon.

At the end of the interview, the reporter asked Mickelson if he thought the windy conditions favored left-handers, to which "Lefty" responded with the following joke:

"I’m not a betting man as you know ... I guess that’s probably not true." [0:46 - 0:54]

During the interview, Phil Mickelson offered his thoughts on playing through the wind at Royal Troon. Mickelson said that the back nine is the most difficult part of the course because it goes back into the wind.

For this reason, Phil Mickelson recommended trying to lower your score on the front nine and fighting for pars on the back nine. He also said that on the second half of the course, it is better to use hook shots rather than slide shots.

Phil Mickelson's gambling addiction, which affected a significant portion of his career, is well documented. According to his former gambling partner, Billy Walters, Mickelson has lost $100 million while gambling over the past 30 years.

Mickelson has acknowledged this problem, although he has not been forthcoming with the figures for losses and winnings. He has also said that he has already recovered from this addiction.

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Phil Mickelson's career at Royal Troon at a glance

It is no coincidence that Phil Mickelson is asked for advice on all things golf, especially when it comes to Royal Troon Golf Club. His career there has given him an intimate knowledge of the course and its characteristics.

Mickelson made his debut at Royal Troon in The 1997 Open Championship. He finished T24 in that edition. Seven years later (2004), Mickelson secured his first top 10 finish at the British Open, finishing third, one stroke behind Todd Hamilton and Ernie Els, who decided the title in a playoff, with Hamilton winning.

Mickelson then returned to Royal Troon in 2016, again for The Open. He finished as the runner-up, three shots behind Henrik Stenson.

Mickelson has played in 29 editions of The Open Championship, making 20 cuts. His best finish came when he won the 2013 edition at Muirfield. In addition to the aforementioned top 10s, he finished as the runner-up in 2011, three shots behind Darren Clarke at Royal St. George Golf Club.

Mickelson's major championship record includes 124 starts with 101 cuts made. He has six wins, 12 second-place finishes and 22 other top-10s.