"I have deep empathy for them" – When Phil Mickelson responded to heat for backing Saudi-backed LIV Golf despite the country’s alleged role in the 9/11 attacks

Phil Mickelson has been on the receiving end of harsh criticism over the past few months. The athlete joined the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series in June and has been in the news ever since. Mickelson's defection to the controversial series made headlines as it heated the PGA Tour-LIV Golf debate.

Many launched attacks on Mickelson for joining the LIV Golf series despite PGA's warnings. Following this, the 2021 PGA Tour champion was suspended from the American Tour. The PGA penalized the golfer for allegedly "attempting to recruit players to join [LIV Golf]." Furthermore, the original two-month suspension was later extended by two years.

Phil Mickelson, along with other LIV Golf defectors, has faced criticism from many groups. Among them was the 9/11 Families United coalition, a group of families whose loved ones were killed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. According to reports, the families of the people killed and injured in the attacks wrote to Mickelson and others over their decision to side with the series backed by Saudi Arabia despite the country's alleged role in the terror attack.

Phil Mickelson reacts to 9/11 families' letter

Mickelson was speaking at a press conference when he was asked about a letter from Terry Strada, a widow with three children whose husband was killed in the 9/11 attacks. Strada, the national chair of the 9/11 Families United coalition, claimed that the Saudi administration was using the newly introduced league to "whitewash history."

Strada slammed the golfers and accused the athletes of receiving "handsome" payments to participate in the controversial league. The letter noted that Osama bin Laden and 15 of the 19 hijackers involved in the attacks were Saudis.

Replying to this, Phil Mickelson said that he shared "deep empathy" for the victims of the attacks. The former PGA Tour champion noted that he was on their side and wasn't overlooking the attacks. However, he confirmed that he would go ahead with playing in the series.

Speaking in an interview, Phil Mickelson said:

"I would say to the Strada family, I would say to everyone that has lost loved ones, lost friends on 9/11 that I have deep, deep empathy for them. I can't emphasize that enough. I have the deepest of sympathy and empathy for them.”

However, Mickelson declined to give a direct answer when asked if he would speak to members of the group.

Mickelson said:

"I think I speak for pretty much every American in that we feel the deepest of sympathy and the deepest of empathy for those that have lost loved ones, friends in 9/11," he said. "It affected all of us, and those that have been directly affected, I think I can't emphasize enough how much empathy I have for them."

It is pertinent to note that Strada went on to slam Mickelson and other LIV players in the following days. In a statement to ESPN, the national chair of the 9/11 Families United coalition said that the defected golfers should be "ashamed" of their actions. She reiterated that the LIV Golf series was part of the Saudi regime's plan to "sports wash" their reputation. Strada claimed they were using "tens of millions of dollars" for the "cover up."

It is no secret that golfers received hefty paychecks for signing the LIV Golf contract. Business magazine Forbes released a report that listed Phil Mickelson as the highest-paid golfer in the world. According to reports, Mickelson bagged around $200 million to play in the inaugural LIV Golf tournament. The ace golfer has earned over $138 million on the pitch this year.