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Phil Mickelson is shrouded in silence in the wake of his Saudi Arabia controversy.
Bryson DeChambeau spoke to reporters in Augusta on Monday before the Masters, and said he’s been unable to reach Lefty of late.
“I’ve tried to reach out, but he’s gone dark,” DeChambeau said. “There’s no contact.”
In February, Mickelson told ESPN writer Alan Shipnuck that he had been recruiting other golfers for the Saudi Golf League, an upstart golf league backed by the Saudi Arabian government and fronted by golf legend Greg Norman that sought to disrupt the PGA Tour by paying golfers much more money for fewer dates.
In doing so, Mickelson brushed off human rights concerns.
“They’re scary mother [expletive] to get involved with,” Mickelson said. “We know they killed [Washington Post reporter Jamal] Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates.”
In an interview with Golf Digest, Mickelson accused the PGA Tour of “obnoxious greed” and criticized their lack of innovation on TV broadcasting.
Mickelson lost several sponsors in the wake of the remarks, and speculation has abounded that he has faced a shadow ban from the PGA Tour. Tour commissioner Jay Monahan declined to say in March if Mickelson is suspended.
Mickelson has apologized for the comments, calling them reckless.
Last year, DeChambeau and Aaron Rodgers defeated Mickelson and Tom Brady in The Match at The Reserve at Moonlight Basin in Big Sky, Mont. Mickelson and DeChambeau were also teammates in the Ryder Cup last year.
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