Renowned gambler doubles down on Phil Mickelson friendship
If Phil Mickelson was hoping to stay out of headlines in the offseason, he likely isn't going to get any peace thanks to Billy Walters' recent TV appearances.
The renowned gambler and former friend of Lefty's has been making the rounds doing interviews about his book, "Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk," which is due out on Aug. 22. These interviews don't just shed light on Mickelson's gambling woes, but also on how much the relationship between him and Walters has deteriorated.
"Phil's a small part of the book. He's two chapters of 28," Walters told "CNN This Morning," before adding: "I couldn't tell the story without including my relationship with Phil."
Sports fans have likely already seen the bullet points from Walters' account of the pro golfer's excessive gambling from 2010-14. Mickelson placed over 3,100 bets in 2011 alone, which averaged nine bets per day. One day that year, he placed 43 bets on MLB games that resulted in $143K in losses.
There's also the claim that Mickelson tried to wager on the 2012 Ryder Cup team he was playing, which Mickelson has denied in an online statement.
Walters has also talked at length about the impact of Mickelson not testifying on his behalf when Walters was convicted of insider trading in 2017.
"There was only one witness who testified against me in the case," Walters told CNN's Poppy Harlow. "He was the only person who testified against me. So if Phil had come forward and testified that I — that whoever gave him insider information, to answer your question, Poppy, no, I don’t think I would have been convicted."
That decision on Mickelson's part has clearly ruined his relationship with his old gambling buddy. Walters told the Golf Channel over the weekend that Mickelson didn't reach out to him once while he was serving his prison sentence. Then, they had an awkward run-in at a driving range in 2022.
"That meeting, unfortunately, was typical Phil," Walters told the Golf Channel. "I was heading to the cart, and he walked up and said, 'Boy, it's so good to see you back, good to see you playing golf again.' Big smile on his face as if nothing had ever happened."
The recent interviews haven't incited a reaction from Mickelson yet, but it wouldn't be surprising if he releases another statement at some point. One thing is for sure, though: Between Walters' book and the potential merger between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, it doesn't look like Mickelson will get to dip out of the spotlight during golf's offseason.
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