Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson may soon play under the same banner once again, but there appears to be no love lost between the PGA Tour loyalist and LIV Golf defector.
McIlroy took aim at Mickelson's alleged gambling habits on Thursday, choosing to look at the bright side of his extensive history of wagering (as alleged in the upcoming book, "Gamble: Secrets from a Life of Risk.")
The author, professional gambler Billy Walters, claimed in one excerpt that Mickelson approached him in 2012 and requested he make a $400,000 wager on the U.S. team in the Ryder Cup. Mickelson was a member of the U.S. team that year.
MORE: Phil Mickelson alleged to have bet more than $1 billion, lose $100 million
Asked about Mickelson's alleged wager, Rory offered the following response:
There is no love lost between Rory McIlroy & Phil Mickelson 💀 pic.twitter.com/N4jumh0QjL
— Rory Tracker (@RoryTrackr) August 10, 2023
Walters claimed he ultimately did not place the wager for Mickelson in 2012. That doesn't mean he didn't find someone else to place the wager for him, however.
"Have you lost your f—ing mind?" Walters claims he told Mickelson. "Don't you remember what happened to Pete Rose? ... You're seen as a modern-day Arnold Palmer. ... You'd risk all that for this? I want no part of it."
For what it's worth, Mickelson went 3-1 in his events at the 2012 competition: He went 2-0 in foursomes and 1-0 in fourballs but lost his one singles match to Justin Rose in a 14 1/2 -13 1/2 victory for Team Europe.
MORE: Phil Mickelson's LIV Golf contract, explained
As noted by McIlroy, Mickelson is not among the golfers who have clinched a spot on the U.S. team, nor is he in the running to qualify. So any wages he places on the competition this year would certainly not create the ethical dilemma it would have in 2012.
Regardless, that is only part of Mickelson's alleged gambling habits, as detailed by Walters. The author — who was convicted in 2017 of insider trading — estimates Mickelson bet over $1 billion in wagers over the past 30 years, adding that he lost nearly $100 million.
That may be part of the reason Mickelson became one of the most notable golfers to defect from the PGA for LIV; per multiple reports, his contract with the breakaway golf circuit is worth $200 million.