Jack Nicklaus says he turned down $100 million by Saudis to be face of LIV Golf series

TULSA, Okla. — The 2022 PGA Championship has become as much about who is not here as to who is playing at Southern Hills.

As current PGA Tour pros weigh in on Phil Mickelson, his decision to skip the tournament he won last year at Kiawah Island and his support for the Saudi-financed LIV Golf series, the biggest name in the sport has left no doubt of his feelings about the Tour and Mickelson.

Jack Nicklaus turned down two offers to be the face of LIV Golf, according to a story published by Fire Pit Collective, and dismissed Mickelson's flirtation with shunning the PGA Tour. The start-up series is being led by Greg Norman.

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"I was offered something in excess of $100 million by the Saudis, to do the job probably similar to the one that Greg is doing,” Nicklaus said. “I turned it down. Once verbally, once in writing. I said, ‘Guys, I have to stay with the PGA Tour. I helped start the PGA Tour.’ ”

Nicklaus, 82, is the all-time leader with 18 majors titles, including five PGA Championships and remains an active supporter of the PGA Tour. Nicklaus hosts the Memorial in Dublin, Ohio, outside of his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, and he has become the unofficial host of the Honda Classic, held in Palm Beach Gardens, not far from Nicklaus' home in North Palm Beach.

Mickelson is one of a handful of PGA Tour pros that includes Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood who have requested a release from the PGA Tour to play in the first LIV Golf event June 9-11 in London. Golfweek first reported that the Tour denied those releases.

But Mickelson has become a pariah since his comments supporting the Saudi-backed league and accusing the PGA Tour of "obnoxious greed" became public. Mickelson acknowledged Saudi Arabia's human rights atrocities, including the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and admitting "they execute people over there for being gay."

Yet, he supports the Saudi-financed league because he believes it would give players "leverage" over the PGA Tour. Very few of his peers agree.

Nicklaus was asked about Mickelson in an interview with NBC's Jimmy Roberts.

"He should go then," Nicklaus said. "Apparently if (Mickelson) does (go) he'll be going alone.

“He’ll have a great tour.”

Tiger Woods has opposite stance of Phil

Tiger Woods, playing for the second time since nearly losing his leg in an auto accident 15 months ago, said he has not spoken to Mickelson since the controversy bubbled up. Woods, who lives on Jupiter Island, clearly has a difference of opinion than Mickelson — his main rival for decades — about the PGA Tour.

"Phil has said some things that I think a lot of us who are committed to the Tour and committed to the legacy of the Tour have pushed back against," Woods said Tuesday. "Some of his views on how the Tour could be run, should be run, been a lot of disagreement there.

"I have a completely different stance."

Woods' devotion to the Tour extends to his foundation, which has held many events on the Tour.

"I've been playing out here for ... decades, and I think there's a legacy to it. I still think that the Tour has so much to offer, so much opportunity," Woods said.

For Nicklaus, showing his distaste for LIV Golf pits him against friend Donald Trump. Nicklaus publicly supported the former president prior to the 2020 election and has golfed with Trump through the years.

LIV Golf's schedule includes four events in the U.S., including two at Trump courses, July 29-31 at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., and the finale Oct. 27-30 at Trump National Doral, where a villa with 48 guest rooms and suites is named in Mickelson's honor.

Trump's support for LIV undoubtedly is partly motivated at his attempt at payback against the Tour for the PGA of America moving this year's PGA Championship from Bedminster to Southern Hills in the days following the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection on the United States Capitol.

Nicklaus labeled the decision "cancel culture" during his interview Monday

"Donald Trump may be a lot of things, but he loves golf and he loves this country," Nicklaus said. "He’s a student of the game and a formidable figure in the game. What he does in the future in golf will depend on what the cancel culture will allow him to do.”

The decision devastated Trump, who is desperate to host a major at one of his resorts.

While most of the Tour members are solidly behind the PGA, they also are saddened about Mickelson's absence at the tournament that likely was the crowning jewel to his legendary career. A year ago, he outlasted Luis Oosthuizen and Jupiter's Brooks Koepka by two strokes to win his sixth major.

Rory McIlroy weighs in on Mickelson

Rory McIlroy, a two-time PGA Championship winner, called Mickelson's absence "unfortunate" and "sad."

"This should be a celebration, right?," McIlroy said. "He won a major championship at 50 years old. It was possibly his last big, big moment in the game of golf. I think he should be here this week and celebrating what a monumental achievement he achieved last year."

PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh said he was told Friday that Mickelson was not playing.

"He's not here. It's his choice," Waugh said. "He and I have had some conversations before, during, and after, and I can really say that on Friday his camp called and said he's not ready to play. Obviously, we respect that. We understand it."

McIlroy remains dedicated to the PGA Tour, although he said Tuesday he may have been "presumptuous" by saying three months ago the Saudi-backed rival tour was “dead in the water."

"Greg and everyone behind it are very determined," McIlroy said. "I think we're just going to have to see how it plays out. Guys are going to make decisions.

"Honestly, it's going to shape the future of professional golf one way or another."

Tom D'Angelo is a journalist at the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at tdangelo@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jack Nicklaus backs PGA Tour against former President Donald Trump