LIV Golf star Phil Mickelson made a public appearance Tuesday in which the 52-year-old appeared to look much slimmer.
Competing at his first event in three months, Mickelson told the media he’s trimmed down to his old college weight and wants to put his disappointing 2022 season behind him.
“I have a whole different energy, whole different excitement,” Mickelson said ahead of this weekend’s PIF Saudi International in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia, via ESPN. “I’ve been rejuvenated. Best shape I’ve been in in a long time. I’m back to my college weight. It allows me to recover faster after I play.
“I’m changing some of the ways I practice to be more efficient. Rather than quantity, it’s much more quality driven, and I’m seeing a difference when I go out and play in the way I am kind of pulling the shots off on the golf course.”
Fans of the six-time major winner, however, appeared to be concerned with Mickelson’s sudden weight loss.
“This does not look like a healthy or sustainable drop in weight,” one fan wrote on Twitter. “What’s behind this?”
Phil Mickelson Looking to Put 2022 Season Behind Him
For Mickelson, it’s about putting himself in the best position to compete — something he didn’t do last season. In seven LIV Golf events, Mickelson finished in the top 15 once. His average finish in the other six was 34th. Mickelson has tumbled down the Official World Golf Ranking, now the 254th ranked player.
“I have to look at last year as an anomaly and just let it go,” Mickelson said. “I wasn’t ready to play at the start; I wasn’t ready to play during [the season]; and this offseason I’m ready to play. I’ve been playing really well at home, and I’m ready to bring my game back out here and compete. I’m optimistic to see a whole different outlook, a whole different game, a whole different competitiveness.”
