LIV Golf’s next stop is South Korea, with the tournament set to take place from May 2–4, 2025, at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon — the same venue that hosted the 2015 Presidents Cup, where Team USA emerged victorious. Back then, players like Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, and Phil Mickelson were part of the winning squad. Now, nearly a decade later, Lefty returns to the iconic course with a message for the layout crafted by the 18-time major champion.

Recently LIV’r & Onions! shared a video on X featuring Phil Mickelson. In the clip, he talked about his experience and thoughts on the course. He said, “So the golf course in South Korea is really world-class. And the golf course, Nicklaus did such a great job, I enjoyed my time there at the Presidents Cup 2015.” The 2015 Presidents Cup lit up Incheon, South Korea, as it made history as the first edition ever held in Asia. From October 8–11, the world watched as the drama unfolded at the stunning Jack Nicklaus Golf Club. In a nail-biting finish, Team USA edged out the Internationals 15½ to 14½, clinching victory by the slimmest of margins. At the heart of it all was Phil Mickelson, who delivered a flawless performance, winning all three of his matches and proving once again why he’s one of golf’s all-time greats.

Now, the 6x major champion is delighted to go back to the same course and further added, “I am really excited that we are going back there in South Korea.” Mickelson was honest with his thoughts about the course, just like he was in March when he talked about Joaquin Niemann.

Torque GC shared a post appreciating Niemann and said, “Joaquín Niemann has got to be a top 5 player in the world right now. Currently sits at the top of the leaderboard in Singapore for his 2 win of the season and 4th in @livgolf_league.” To this, Lefty responded with a bold statement and said, “Top 5? Try #1.”

It seems that the Chilean pro is trying that as he recently won LIV Golf Mexico and is certainly looking to win in South Korea. Meanwhile, Mickelson finished T22 as his top pick came out as the victor in the event. Now the eyes are on LIV Golf Korea, it will be interesting to see what kind of deja vu Mickelson gets. Will it be the feel of the 2015 Presidents Cup or another defeat from his top pick? 

Opened in October 2010, the Jack Nicklaus course is one of 25 Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Courses around the world. Not only that, Golf Digest even called it as the fourth best course in South Korea, saying “This is an impressive Nicklaus design, one that transformed a flat, dull site into a surprisingly rolling, pine-dotted layout with water on 11 holes, equitably distributed with six hazards to the left and five to the right.” While Phil Mickelson has nothing but appreciation for Jack Nicklaus and his course, it can’t be said the same for the 85-year-old.

Jack Nicklaus took a jab at Phil Mickelson

Jack Nicklaus hasn’t held back, slamming LIV Golf and rejecting a $200 million offer to lead it, declaring loyalty to the PGA Tour he helped build. So, back in June 2022, Phil Mickelson was one of the biggest names to join the Saudi-backed league. After receiving a hefty amount to join the circuit, the golfer had to face a lot of heat. At that time, Jack Nicklaus had chimed in and had some shade to throw at Mickelson and LIV. He said, “Well, you know, I don’t know what level Phil is competing at. I guess he’s still playing. He’s playing the LIV Tour, is he? I don’t know if he’s playing or not. I don’t know, you never see that anymore.” Then, in 2023, he even said players like Mickelson are no longer “part of the game.”

Nicklaus was unsure about Mickelson and also called LIV Golf events ‘odd.’ He added, “I think Phil has been competitive in an odd event here and there but not really in the last few years.” Speaking of competition, the 6x major champion’s career hit rock bottom after he was knocked outside of the top 1000 in the world rankings. It happened after he carded a  75 in the first round and a 74 with 5-over in the second round of the masters. Meanwhile, Mickelson has defended his move, touting LIV’s flexibility and backing stars like Joaquín Niemann as future No. 1s.

Do you think there is still a chance for Phil Mickelson to come back? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!