Phil Mickelson Refuses to Talk About Grant Horvat Rejecting PGA Tour Invite Over Filming Restrictions

In April, Phil Mickelson and Grant Horvat played for LIV Golf’s ‘The Duels’ and looked quite strong because they “complement” each other well. Or at least, Phil Mickelson said so. Talking about Horvant, Mickelson said in April, “We complement each other well. He is the nicest guy. I tend to be a little spicier. So the sugar and spice… we tend to mix well.” However, a few months later, Horvat is in trouble with the PGA Tour, but Mickelson has refused to speak up about the issue.

In April, Grant Horvat received a sponsor’s exemption to play in the 2025 Barcuda Championship, an opportunity he turned down this week. The reason? He could not film content for his YouTube channel due to the PGA Tour media rights. The PGA Tour has massive global TV deals with partners like Comcast-owned Golf Channel, covering costs. Because the Tour holds significant contracts with media-rights partners, it retains rights to digital and archival footage, restricting players and content creators from posting unsanctioned performance videos on social media.

Phil Mickelson has raised this issue in the past, but when asked about Horvat’s situation at The Open Championship, he replied, “I’ve really enjoyed playing my matches with Grant. He’s the nicest guy, and he’s been very helpful for me to kind of get into the YouTube space, a space that I don’t really know a lot about. I’m starting to learn — I’m learning from him. I’m learning from Bryson [DeChambeau]. They’ve been both very, very helpful.” When the interviewer pressed for an answer, Mickelson replied during the presser, “I’m not going to go into the weeds on that. I just really like him.”

Even though Grant Horvat has collaborated with top golfers like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, he shares a particularly strong bond with Phil Mickelson. They have played together and even against other notable duos, in a bid to expose Mickelson to the YouTube side of golf. And so that’s not an answer anyone expected, considering the Grant Horvat situation.

But it’s not like Mickelson has always remained shut when it comes to the PGA Tour media issues. For instance, in 2022, Mickelson said of the PGA Tour media control, “It’s not public knowledge, all that goes on. But the players don’t have access to their own media.” He then added, “They also have access to my shots, access I do not have. They also charge companies to use shots I have hit.”

But the biggest accusation came with another shocking fact: the PGA Tour charged Phil Mickelson a whopping $1 million to use his own shots, with fees incurred each time, forcing him to pay for his own shots repeatedly. Talking about the same, the Lefty stated in 2022, “That type of greed is, to me, beyond obnoxious.” 

Although Phil Mickelson’s silence on his friend’s situation is rather shocking, it’s likely that it wouldn’t hurt their friendship much, considering their long-standing relationship and the strong (even professional) bond they share.

Grant Horvat is an equity partner in Phil Mickelson’s For Wellness

Phil Mickelson has been making waves in the YouTube golf scene, often praising popular golf influencers like Bryson DeChambeau and Grant Horvat. In fact, Mickelson recently made headlines by releasing his own YouTube content this season, including a collaboration with Horvat. His first video garnered an impressive 1.4 million views, and he now has 296K subscribers after just 15 videos.

In a surprising move, Mickelson rewarded Horvat’s support by offering him equity in his wellness company, For Wellness. Phil Mickelson co-founded For Wellness with Dave Phillips in September 2020. Mickelson credits Phillips with introducing him to the benefits of coffee, saying, “coffee has changed my life. I have made it the foundation of my overall health and wellness.”

During an April video, Mickelson expressed his gratitude, saying, “You have been so kind in introducing me to YouTube space… We are giving you equity in For Wellness to be a partner in the company as a thank you for what you have meant to us.”

Horvat was visibly touched, responding with, “Phil!… Thank you, oh my gosh.” As Mickelson hugged his new partner, he added, “You are a good, good man, and we really appreciate everything you have done, so thank you.” Horvat later shared the moment on social media, captioning it, “I’m speechless! Thank you @forwellness @philmickelson.” The partnership comes as For Wellness, which offers products like coffee boosters and recovery gummies, looks to expand its reach in the wellness industry.