Phil Mickelson. Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Phil Mickelson opens up on his gambling addiction with social media post

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Sep 18, 2023 9:03 PM ET

Phil Mickelson is a championship-level golfer. The many known as "lefty" is one of the greatest of all time.

Still, that, or any other accomplishment, doesn't make him immune to struggle. Anyone can suffer with addiction. Whether it's alcohol, drugs, or gambling — as was the case for Mickelson — addition doesn't care about how many PGA championships you've won and it sure doesn't care about the number of zeroes in your bank account.

It just takes, and takes ... and takes, indiscriminatingly. That is, until you fight back, which Mickelson clearly has.

In a long post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Mickelson detailed his struggles with gambling, setting the story up by saying that while many bettors and fantasy football players will enjoy the 2023 football season — he will not.

Most of you will enjoy this football season with moderation while having lots of fun and entertainment. The fantasy leagues will provide banter amongst friends and money won or lost betting won’t affect you. I wont be betting this year because I crossed the line of moderation and…
— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) September 18, 2023

Mickelson seemed to insinuate that there were people around him who were taking advantage of his struggles.

The 45-time PGA Tour winner thanked his wife, Amy, for being a source of support. He also stated that he's working on making things better with people around him.

If you or somebody you know has a gambling problem call the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER or visit their website here.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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