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Gary Player, a nine-time major champion, recently got into a conversation with Sportskeeda. In it, he talked about Phil Mickelson’s decision to leave the PGA Tour and its aftermath, especially in regard to the Ryder Cup Team USA selection.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Player was questioned about Mickelson’s chances of competing in the biennial tournament if he hadn't quit the PGA Tour.
To this, Gary Player replied that Mickelson is fine with his decision to leave the tour. He even has hopes of the golf world getting united.
“Again with the 'if'. Phil seems fine with his decision and knew he likely would not be part of this year’s team if he left the PGA Tour. My hope is the golf world will be united going forward.”
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Phil Mickelson left the PGA Tour to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf in 2022. This, in turn, caused him to discontinue participating in PGA Tour events. He hasn't even earned any OWGR points since then.
The 53-year-old did not receive a captain's pick and was not included in the automatic qualification selection for the Ryder Cup.
Gary Player talked about some of the hottest topics regarding the Ryder Cup
Other than talking about Mickelson, Gary Player answered various questions that the golf world is buzzing around regarding the Ryder Cup.
The 87-year-old South African professional golfer was asked about Dustin Johnson’s claims about getting to play the Ryder Cup event if he had been on PGA Tour’s side.
“Dustin is a very talented golfer, a major champion, and has had success for many years. But I hate the word 'if.' He did not have as good of a year as Brooks Koepka, who was a captain’s selection for the Ryder Cup team.”
Player was also questioned on whether selecting Justin Thomas was a good decision or whether another golfer may have made a more suitable replacement. He replied:
“Justin has a tremendous matchplay record and won a major just last year. So, I am sure Zach Johnson factored that into his decision. That’s why he is the captain, to put his team in the best position he thinks to win.”
Lastly, Gary Player went on to reveal the reason why he is against the captain's selection, something he revealed in a previous interview:
“I stated that because I respect the ranking system. Hot players should be rewarded. Simple as that.”
The Ryder Cup 2023 ended earlier this month with Team USA getting a terrible setback as they lost comprehensively to Team Europe.
