sport news Phil Mickelson conjured more questions than answers on his return from ... trends now
If golf's pariah-in-chief harboured hopes of a gentle return to the spotlight, they were not realised in a Saudi-funded corner of St Albans on Wednesday.
That Phil Mickelson somehow conjured more questions than answers would have once been cited as evidence of his ability to work magic.
Not these days, of course, with Mickelson's reputation apparently locked on an inverse relationship with his bank balance, which is said to have swelled by as much as £160m for his romance with the LIV Invitational Series.
Just a few months ago he was quoted as describing the Saudis as 'scary mother*******', best used as 'leverage' against the 'obnoxious greed' of the PGA Tour.
Well, with those manoeuvres having failed, Mickelson now finds himself the prime attraction for Thursday's first round of the series' inaugural event at the Centurion Club, and very much trapped between a rock and a scary place.
Whether he could go back to the PGA Tour, even if he wanted to, was one of the issues left hanging in an awkward first press conference since he put himself in exile in February.
Phil Mickelson somehow conjured more questions than answers on his return to the spotlight
His bank balance is said to have swelled by as much as £160m for his romance with the LIV Invitational Series
While the Tour are yet to confirm what sanctions will be deployed against its growing list of defectors, which on Wednesday looked set to include Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed, Mickelson was in little mood for filling in gaps.
Indeed, when asked if he had, or is currently, serving a Tour ban for his comments, he said: 'I choose not to speak publicly on PGA Tour issues at this time.'
He said the same when asked if he would be punished by the Tour for his departure, and similar when pushed on how he has come to share a bed with the same people he was once using for leverage. 'I've really enjoyed my time on the PGA Tour,' the six-time major winner put forward.
'I've had some incredible experiences and I have a lot of strong opinions on things that should and could be a lot better. One of the mistakes I've made is voicing those publicly. So I will really make an effort to keep those conversations behind closed doors.'
Mickelson's reputation is apparently locked on an inverse relationship after an awkward press conference
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