Sport

Phil Mickelson deserves a second chance after Saudi comments says Rory McIlroy

PHIL MICKELSON deserves another chance to return to golf after the Saudi Golf League backlash, said Rory Mcllroy.

The American received immense criticsim for his comments about the Saudi Golf League and thus decided to take time away from golf after backtracking and retracting the statements.

Mickelson said the Saudi's are 'scary, they kill gays, but said that he would be willing to look past the human rights violations to gain leverage over the tradiotoanl PGA Tour'.

The comments are set to be released in an upcoming biography about the golfer by long-time friend and golf writer Alan Shipnuck.

Last month Mcllroy said that the 56-year-old was naive, selfish, egotistical, ignorant.

I don’t want to kick someone while he’s down obviously,” McIlroy said,

“But I thought they were naive, selfish, egotistical, ignorant. A lot of words to describe that interaction he had with Shipnuck. It was just very surprising and disappointing, sad. I’m sure he’s sitting at home sort of rethinking his position and where he goes from here.”

Rory McIlroy on Phil Mickelson’s attempt to recruit PGA players for the new Saudi tour despite their horrendous human rights record: “Naive, selfish, egotistical, ignorant .. very surprising, disappointing, sad.” pic.twitter.com/VfJsTeUvgq

— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) February 21, 2022

The six-time major champion has found himself isolated and lost a number of sponsors.

Although McIlroy was a huge critic of Mickelson's actions initially, he has now asked for peer to be given another chance to redeem himself

McIlroy was speaking at Bay Hill in Orlando, Florida, ahead of this week's Arnold Palmer Invitational and said;

"Phil has been a wonderful ambassador for the game of golf, still is a wonderful ambassador for the game of golf"

"It's unfortunate that a few comments that he thought he was making in confidence or off the record got out there and were... not used against him, but this whole situation is unfortunate."

McIlroy is part of a group of big-name players who have refused the Super Golf League offer and does see Mickelson eventually returning to the game he's been so successful at.

"Look, Phil will be back," said McIlroy.

"I think the players want to see him back. He's done such a wonderful job for the game of golf, and he's represented the game of golf very, very well for the entirety of his career."

World number five McIlroy knows humans make mistakes and Mickelson is no different.

"We all say things we want to take back. No one is different in that regard,"

"But we should be allowed to make mistakes, and we should be allowed to ask for forgiveness and for people to forgive us and move on. Hopefully, he comes back at some stage, and he will, and people will welcome him back and be glad that he is back.