Despite Phil Mickelson’s $200 Million Move, Loyalist Rickie Fowler Still Doesn’t Hesitate to Recall His ‘Fondest Memory’ About the LIV Defector

Published 03/25/2023, 8:55 AM EDT

Currently at the WGC Match Play after a really long time, Rickie Fowler has the attention of all the golf fans around the world. The PGA Tour professional is among the most talented golfers today. And unlike many of his old friends, the player chose to protect his legacy and stayed back on the tour despite the opportunity to join LIV Golf. However, he recently recalled a Match Play incident involving one of his buddies in the Saudi League. And it was none other than golf legend Phil Mickelson!

Rickie Fowler’s epic Match Play with Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson, 52, was the first player to openly show support towards the LIV Golf league. And believe it or not, he is responsible for multiple other players to join the breakaway circuit. However, despite his great influence over the game and his fellow players, his actions couldn’t convince Rickie Fowler to switch tours.

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The two used to be longtime friends when Mickelson was still in the American League. However, they haven’t made any public appearances together ever since LIV Golf was launched. But despite their allegedly broken bond, Fowler recently opened up about the time he defeated ‘Lefty’ at the 2011 Match Play. In fact, he even called it his ‘fondest memory’!

“I remember one day I think I made nine or ten birdies at Augusta and I was his teammate,” Fowler recalled. “And I remember on the 8th hole he was trying to trick me on the read and get in my head. Luckily I ended up making it. So it was, you know, to get paired up against him and ultimately play really well and get the better of him,”

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It is no small feat to beat the six-time major champion in his own game. However, Fowler was well aware of how Mickelson must have felt about his loss. But at the same time, he also referred to the golf ace as one of his ‘buddies’. “I know how much it maybe got under his skin a bit and, yeah, it’s just fun when you get to beat your buddies,” he said.

Mickelson is widely known for his bets on the field. But the ‘prankster’ was lucky he didn’t bet on his victory against Fowler that day.

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Do you think the two could still have the same bond as before? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Written by:

Joydeep Singh is a Golf writer at EssentiallySports. Having completed his Bachelor's degree in Business Management, he possesses a writing experience of more than four years now. Having picked up on following golf for quite some time now, his favorite is the legendary Tiger Woods, whose games he just does not miss.

Edited by:

Manaal Siddiqui

Despite Phil Mickelson’s $200 Million Move, Loyalist Rickie Fowler Still Doesn’t Hesitate to Recall His ‘Fondest Memory’ About the LIV Defector

Rickie Fowler’s epic Match Play with Phil Mickelson

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