Brendan Steele kicked off his LIV Golf career with a bang. Two consecutive top-fives in the first two tournaments showed early hopes. However, for the golf pro, it has been a roller coaster ride. Regardless, the three-time PGA Tour winner, a close friend of team captain Phil Mickelson, has become an anchor for HyFlyers GC.

Notably, aside from the sport, Steele also has interests in music and family. Golf is not the anchor of his life!

How did Steele become a part of LIV Golf?

Steele expressed his disinterest in LIV Golf in December 2022. The 41-year-old said, “For me, I’m fine if guys want to go. I think they just have to make the best decision for them. But don’t expect to come back and play on our Tour.” But things changed quickly for the former PGA Tour pro. In fact, he also admitted that PIF officials never approached him.

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Steele was always in close quarters with Phil Mickelson. And, though he said that he had no interest in the rebel league, Steele later revealed that he told Lefty to inform him if there was an ‘open position.’ The chance came rather surprisingly.

“They were trying to sort out the teams and how it was going to move forward. I was just keeping my head down, and then recently it just changed where I had an opportunity to come and join this team, and it’s a perfect fit. So I’m really excited.” That chance came because of the HyFlyers captain, Phil Mickelson. Lefty was always in touch with Steele. In fact, they have been practice partners since 2011.

Brendan Steele and Phil Mickelson are decade-long friends

Steele first had the opportunity to practice with Phil Mickelson in 2011. The nine-hole session before THE PLAYERS Championship was enough to convince the rookie that this should go on. That is, he should seize the opportunity whenever it presents itself.

That continued for a decade. Even during the off-season, Brendan Steele was playing with his friend to keep his game sharp. In 2016, Mickelson drummed in practice matches. More than a few times. “He just drummed me for a couple days,” said Steele. What explains Lefty’s appeal?

In a recent clip, Brendan Steele explains that Phil Mickelson is willing to share his secret sauce. The 45-time PGA Tour winner showed how to hit perfect lobs to his teammate. “He is so good with all these stuffs, and he is so willing to share all these information.”

In an interview with New England Golf, the 41-year-old said, “Phil, of course, is one of the best players ever, and he is so quick to share that knowledge. And he’s been that way, with his enthusiasm and his work ethic, with me and with Keegan throughout his career. To be with him every day is cool.”

However, to choose life at LIV Golf, he had to part ways with another friend. Keegan Bradley and Steele had their “last supper” just a week before joining LIV Golf. “Not seeing Keegan is the only thing I miss,” the LIV Golfer said earlier this month. They used to share rooms while traveling and practicing together, and even their families are close. Bradley himself was a little surprised by his friend’s decision. But Steele had more than one reason.

Family time played a big part in Brendan Steele’s LIV decision 

Spending more time with family was one of the key reasons Steele chose to join LIV Golf. The light schedule of 14 events and a full four-month off-season meant the three-time PGA Tour winner could spend more time with his wife and daughter. In fact, his wife, Anastassia Steele, revealed how things have changed since 2023.

“On the LIV Tour, there is such a nice balance, like of family life and work. We get to have breakfast together every morning, dinner together every night,” Anastassia said. The LIV Golf pro met his future wife while in college at the University of California, Riverside. They got married in 2007. Steele also has a daughter, Victoria ‘Tori’ Steele.

Steele frequently posts with his family on social media accounts. Back in 2018, Steele took his daughter, who was still crawling, to the course during a regular putting exercise. A year later, when he was going through a rough patch, Brendan Steele captioned a photo with his family, “Golf hasn’t been very fun lately, but these two always are (loving emoji)”.

Besides golf, Steele is a rock aficionado who headbangs at live concerts and a whiskey lover who swears by Jim Beam. His playlist is filled with Linkin Park, Avenge Sevenfold, and Nine Inch Nails. In 2019, the Linksman went to catch ‘Of Mice & Men live’, one of the few newer bands that Steele loves. Brendan Steele is also close friends with Dave ‘Phoenix’ Pharrell, Linkin Park’s bassist.