The team format of LIV Golf is not something everyone has been able to accept easily. It is one of the complications that has kept the OWGR disinterested in authorizing the Saudi-based promotion. Golf is, after all, mostly an individual sport. Only on rare occasions do all the players participate in teams like the President’s Cup, Ryder Cup, or national squads in the Olympic Games.

But it seems that Phil Mickelson is a little too fond of it, especially the one he gets to be a part of in LIV Golf. The veteran pro is one of the most decorated players in the history of golf. His accolades are beyond the reach of many of the best players in the world today.

His best years may be behind him, but the HyFlyers GC captain is still capable of surprising the world by adding another outstanding win to his name. However, based on what he said recently, it seems that he is enjoying chasing records as a team a lot more than as an individual player.

In LIV Golf’s latest video on YouTube, Phil Mickelson talks about what it’s like playing with a team every week. Speaking about being a part of the national squad in the past, he said, “You know, I have a lot of great special moments from team golf… US Team golf in the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup. I’ve had 25 straight years of that, and it was awesome. And it was only one week a year.” 

Speaking about why he enjoys being a part of LIV Golf, Mickelson added, “I think that’s what I love about LIV Golf is that I love the team aspect of it so much, and now we get to do it every week out on LIV. I think that’s what I really enjoy.” While he may have achieved many more victories after joining LIV Golf, Mickelson clearly seems to enjoy being a part of the promotion.

Mickelson also spoke about what is similar between the team format of LIV Golf and the Ryder Cup/Presidents Cup. He said, “I think there are a lot of similarities with the team aspect on LIV and the Presidents Cup. We don’t have the size of the team. But what that does is it reminds me of the kind of pods that we had, starting with Paul Azinger at the Ryder Cup in 2008, and we carried that through in a lot of Presidents Cups as well where you focused on this small unit to help each other bring the best out, much like the Navy Seasl did and still do.” 

In the 2008 Ryder Cup, captained by Paul Azinger, the team had deployed a pod system where the 12 players were divided into three groups of four. Players of each pod were responsible for looking out for each other to help themselves gain an advantage over their adversaries. This helped Team US win the Ryder Cup back from the European side at Valhalla Golf Club.

Coming back to Mickelson’s interview, he continued to explain, “We have that smaller section where we’re more intimately and emotionally connected and involved with each other and helping each other be our best. So we’re constantly trying to help each other with our shortcomings. I am driving the ball very, very well, and I put a lot of credit to Brendan Steele, who has been one of the best overall drivers in the game in the last 12-15 years. Asking him ‘what does he do?’ and ‘how does he do this?’ We’ve helped each other be our best. I feel like a little bit more emotionally connected out on LIV because with 12 guys, you don’t have that type of connection. There’s this accountability that you have for each other and with each other to play well for each other and to help them play their best, too.” 

Records show that Mickelson found very little success in the 12-player team format playing in the Ryder Cup despite playing alongside great players like Jordan Spieth and Bryson DeChambeau. Being a part of Team US, he had very few victories to his name. In fact, his record was even worse every time he lined up with Tiger Woods.

Did Lefty and the GOAT make a bad team? Let’s check their record together in the Ryder Cup.

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson’s dream team

On paper, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson would make an excellent team. Two of the most celebrated golfers would have been a nightmare for their European rivals. However, that was not the case on the course at all. Woods and Mickelson held a terrible record teaming up with each other.

In fact, Lefty and the GOAT have only won once teaming up together in 1999. Woods didn’t play in the 2008 Ryder Cup as he was recovering from surgery. And while the 82x PGA Tour winner was a part of the 2016 Ryder Cup winning team, he only appeared as a vice-captain who didn’t play alongside Mickelson and Co. at the Hazeltine National Golf Club.

Maybe that was the big difference between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. One believed in dominating the course at an individual level, while the other was yearning for more team competition.