I became a Phil fan because while Tiger was amazing and I was in awe of his talent, the fact 3 of his first 4 major wins were by 12, 15, and 8 strokes, I was eager for him to get some competition. Same reason I was a Duval fan too. Didn't dislike Tiger, but did want to see some elite guys step up to challenge him. Many elite athletes are aholes so I'm decent at ignoring it. That said, once Phil angled to fracture the game in order to pay off some gambling debt, I was out. When you start ****ing with the quality of the product, you're out

Enrico Pallazzo said:

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That said, once Phil angled to fracture the game in order to pay off some gambling debt, I was out. When you start ****ing with the quality of the product, you're out

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I think that was the tipping point for many fans

He used to be my favorite golfer.
Many years ago, I had a sports illustrated cover of his framed in my home office. Now, I think that he is a very, very self absorbed, narcissistic, deranged loser.

Pretty sure he always was.

Read an article years ago about most hated athletes, not by fans but by their peers. This was at the height of the Barry Bonds drama so naturally I expected he'd be high. To my surprise, Phil was #1. Guys on tour have never liked him apparently.

https://www.skratch.golf/news/pro-golf/phil-mickelson-misconduct-women-madison-club-bridges-farms-exits

Wtf, man

Some crazy **** in that article and I believe all of it.

Peter Piper said:

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https://www.skratch.golf/news/pro-golf/phil-mickelson-misconduct-women-madison-club-bridges-farms-exits

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I suspect this is 100% true. But Shipnuck and Mickelson have really gone at each other a lot over the last 5 years.

Still, I tend to believe this story is 100% true.

What a huge fall from grace for Mickelson.

I'd always heard that Phil and Amy were swingers or non-monogamous or in some version of "the lifestyle."

Not like the people I heard that from knew them personally or anything but since I heard it from a few different places I just assumed it was true (and I didn't care whether it was or not; none of my business and you do you).

A lot of the stuff in the story aligns with a couple who has different definitions of the boundaries in that type of an arrangement.

bagger05 said:

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I'd always heard that Phil and Amy were swingers or non-monogamous or in some version of "the lifestyle."

Not like the people I heard that from knew them personally or anything but since I heard it from a few different places I just assumed it was true (and I didn't care whether it was or not; none of my business and you do you).

A lot of the stuff in the story aligns with a couple who has different definitions of the boundaries in that type of an arrangement.

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Heard the same about 20 years ago from a couple guys who bounced around on the mini-tours.

I don't know that it's 2way swinging as much as it is a guy that zero'd in on one girl early in adult life and then decided to embrace some bachelor time (and with the type of career to provide opportunity and cover). People may have seen how bold he was with some of it and just assumed she was ok. But these stories make it clear she was shutting down his ****pads when discovered and trying to track him like a typical cheated-on spouse would. A swinging couple guy isn't sending golfers off with his phone so he can go **** someone without her knowing; that's just a dude cheating on his wife

Enrico Pallazzo said:

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I don't know that it's 2way swinging as much as it is a guy that zero'd in on one girl early in adult life and then decided to embrace some bachelor time (and with the type of career to provide opportunity and cover). People may have seen how bold he was with some of it and just assumed she was ok. But these stories make it clear she was shutting down his ****pads when discovered and trying to track him like a typical cheated-on spouse would. A swinging couple guy isn't sending golfers off with his phone so he can go **** someone without her knowing; that's just a dude cheating on his wife

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No doubt. But people in the orbit of pro golf were talking about it 20 years ago. Whether there's any truth to it, who knows.

I just don't put much stock in it. "We have an open relationship" rumors are more likely just cover for "I still like to **** other women but this way it sounds like I have permission vs just being the dirtbag that I am".

Enrico Pallazzo said:

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I don't know that it's 2way swinging as much as it is a guy that zero'd in on one girl early in adult life and then decided to embrace some bachelor time (and with the type of career to provide opportunity and cover). People may have seen how bold he was with some of it and just assumed she was ok. But these stories make it clear she was shutting down his ****pads when discovered and trying to track him like a typical cheated-on spouse would. A swinging couple guy isn't sending golfers off with his phone so he can go **** someone without her knowing; that's just a dude cheating on his wife

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Based on the story it certainly seems like she wasn't okay with what he was doing, even if they had some kind of "alternative arrangement."

Which when one of them is famous and the reason for your extreme wealth and a lifestyle most can barely imagine, that can facilitate a "I'm going to **** around and you are going to have to deal with it" that some may interpret as open but in reality isn't.

Snippets I hear from people in this world suggest that this is a very, very common issue even for people who aren't rich and famous. One person backs the other into a corner and kinda forces it on them.

Of course this can show up in a ton of other non-sexual ways in any relationship.

Open relationship, non-monogamous, regular cheating on your spouse… being faithful in a relationship with one person seems complicated enough for me, man.

Phil da phreak

I feel sorry for his kids. Can't imagine reading stories like that about my dad. What a tool.

I get that, but being super rich has to make that matter a lot less to them.

ColoradoMooseHerd said:

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Phil is scumbag, sometimes it is hard to admit that the guy we like or root for is a piece of **** but in this case you just have to admit it. Phil is a scumbag.

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So who is wins the title between the big rivals as Biggest Scumbag, Phil or Tiger?

I still take Tiger. The clincher for me was hearing how he treated the Navy Seals that he trained with and didn't pick up the meal checks.

Buford T. Justice said:

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He used to be my favorite golfer.
Many years ago, I had a sports illustrated cover of his framed in my home office. Now, I think that he is a very, very self absorbed, narcissistic, deranged loser.

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You framed a random SI cover of Phil? Yikes.