Phil Mickelson had a history of gambling in his early days at golf. It spiraled out of hand, with Mickelson later admitting he was embarrassed about his addiction. However, he has also made bets on golf courses, which has landed him in hot soup on a number of occasions.

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The wager Phil Mickelson made at the course of the 2014 Barclays

Mickelson contested the first of the FedEx Cup Playoffs in 2014 with the Barclays Open, where he made the cut but was in no position to win the tournament. To make things interesting, he made a bet with a fan in the gallery on the par-4 18th hole. On the rough, he offered 4-to-1 odds on a $5 bet for a birdie on his last hole of the day.

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Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough motivation for the 6-time Major Championship winner. He carded a bogey and paid the $20 amount before the ball had even reached the greens. A small change for Lefty, but a moment to cherish for the fan, who had an impressive story to tell back home.

Betting on-course against the rules of golf

As per the PGA Tour Player Handbook, an act of betting by the players is a violation and attracts punishment. Under Section VI-C-5, PGA Tour players cannot “bet money or anything of value on a golf tournament or similar event, whether or not the player is in such competition.”

It also states that the penalty for breaking the rules includes a “fine, suspension from play in PGA Tour co-sponsored and co-ordinated tournaments, [or] permanent disbarment from such play.”

The act from Mickelson was a generous one, but against the rulebook on all counts. This is not the first time he has been caught in such a situation.

At the 2001 NEC Invitational, Lefty made an outlandish bet with Mike Weir of 25-to-1 odds of $20 for Jim Furyk to make the hole from a bunker. The 2018 Team USA Ryder Cup captain required a hole to extend the tie into playoffs, and in such an intense situation, made the shot. Mickelson pocketed a handsome $500 and was not fined, with PGA Tour official Bob Combs saying the wager didn’t have an outcome on the tournament.

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