Phil Mickelson has returned to the premises of Augusta National Golf Club one year after taking a leave of absence from the game at the commencement of the LIV Golf controversy.
Mickelson did not play the 2022 Masters, which took place several weeks after he made controversial comments about Saudi Arabia and the then-upstart LIV league to golf writer Alan Shipnuck.
“It’s great,” Mickelson told reporters Tuesday. “It’s fun to be back. Everyone has been wonderful.”
Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, told reporters last year that Mickelson chose not to come—he wasn’t uninvited.
Twelve months later, LIV Golf is in its second season and 18 of its members are in the field for the Masters. Among them is Mickelson, who reportedly declined a pre-tournament press conference but spoke to several reporters Tuesday after a practice round….