[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

What an incredible human being!!!

Here is a guy who was arguably the number two golfer in the world during Tiger Wood's prime years. Phil has won three of the four majors and is only missing the US Open in order to complete the career grand slam. There are only five players in history to have accomplished this.

This year, his daughter is graduating from high school on the day of the first round of the US Open. she will be giving a speech at the ceremony. Her father, Phil, has opted to skip the US Open in order to be at her graduation.

It's hard for me to imagine another athlete who would make this move. This is especially moving since Phil is now 46 years old and his chances of ever winning an Open and completing the slam are dwindling.

A lot of people say that they put their family first, but here is a guy that walks the walk. An amazing person.

[DonH57]

I think it's fantastic him doing this for family. I watched a two part episode on Feherty's show on the golf channel. They talked about his start and career in golf and his personal life. I always enjoy watching any tournament he's in. Great job Phil.

[Polar Bear]

[Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr

What an incredible human being!!!

Here is a guy who was arguably the number two golfer in the world during Tiger Wood's prime years. Phil has won three of the four majors and is only missing the US Open in order to complete the career grand slam. There are only five players in history to have accomplished this.

This year, his daughter is graduating from high school on the day of the first round of the US Open. she will be giving a speech at the ceremony. Her father, Phil, has opted to skip the US Open in order to be at her graduation.

It's hard for me to imagine another athlete who would make this move. This is especially moving since Phil is now 46 years old and his chances of ever winning an Open and completing the slam are dwindling.

A lot of people say that they put their family first, but here is a guy that walks the walk. An amazing person.

Yeah, this is cool. But there is another side to Phil. Insider trading, huge gambling debts, taking the 5th. He's no choir boy.

Report: Phil Mickelson paid off $2 million gambling debt in 2012 | GOLF.com

[John_W]

Before I moved here in 2011, I use to go in a Dick's Sporting Goods outside of Baltimore all the time. There was an old white hair guy working in the golf department, he always made sure everybody knew he was 75 and still working and playing golf. I guess he had never been to TV. He would always talk about how great Tiger Woods was, and if I ever mentioned Phil Mickelson, he would call him a gambler, and a bum, and his smile was phony and he signed autographs because Callway made him. He even told me once that Phil went to Callaway to borrow $2 million to pay off gamblers.

This was all before 2009. Then one week the Tiger Woods story hit the news, him getting hit up side the head by his wife and him fleeing the house and wrecking the car. I couldn't wait to go back to Dick's and find that guy and ask him what Tiger Woods was up to that week. Of course, Tiger was only human, many rich guys in his position would of done the same. Some people, they just can't admit they're wrong.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Originally Posted by John_W

Before I moved here in 2011, I use to go in a Dick's Sporting Goods outside of Baltimore all the time. There was an old white hair guy working in the golf department, he always made sure everybody knew he was 75 and still working and playing golf. I guess he had never been to TV. He would always talk about how great Tiger Woods was, and if I ever mentioned Phil Mickelson, he would call him a gambler, and a bum, and his smile was phony and he signed autographs because Callway made him. He even told me once that Phil went to Callaway to borrow $2 million to pay off gamblers.

This was all before 2009. Then one week the Tiger Woods story hit the news, him getting hit up side the head by his wife and him fleeing the house and wrecking the car. I couldn't wait to go back to Dick's and find that guy and ask him what Tiger Woods was up to that week. Of course, Tiger was only human, many rich guys in his position would of done the same. Some people, they just can't admit they're wrong.

I've met Phil a few times and I can tell you that his smile is not phony. He loves to sign autographs. I don't know anything about his gambling or debts, but I doubt that he'd have to borrow $2 million from anyone.

I actually heard the same story about John Daly and that Ely loaned him $2 million and signed him to a contract when no one else would. He screwed Ely like he's screwed so many others. I think that people might be getting their golfers mixed up.

I do know that Phil likes to gamble in the practice rounds. he and his partners will often play two other PGA Tour players for a few hundred dollars which is nothing to those guys.

I've never heard anything about him gambling outside of that.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Originally Posted by Jayhawk

Yeah, this is cool. But there is another side to Phil. Insider trading, huge gambling debts, taking the 5th. He's no choir boy.

Report: Phil Mickelson paid off $2 million gambling debt in 2012 | GOLF.com

From your posted article:

though the golfer was not charged with any wrongdoing.

To be clear, Mickelson is not facing any charges in the trial,

And this sounds like he might have been paying off his friend's gambling debts.

"Court documents revealed that Mickelson gave Walters $1.95 million in the summer of 2012 to pay off gambling debts, according to the New York Post."

[John_W]

I've always heard Phil was a genuine guy and it was only this Dick's employee that believed otherwise, I think I got him back with Tiger. I do know Phil made legal bets in Vegas, this story was in the Baltimore Sun and I even heard it told on an NFL game. In 2001 when the Ravens beat the Giants to win Super Bowl XXXV the Ravens odds at the start of the season was 25 to 1. Phil put $20,000 on the Ravens and won $500,000. They never said what other teams or how much he had, just that one that paid off.

[Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr

From your posted article:



And this sounds like he might have been paying off his friend's gambling debts.

"Court documents revealed that Mickelson gave Walters $1.95 million in the summer of 2012 to pay off gambling debts, according to the New York Post."

From the same article:

"Mickelson was forced to pay federal regulators $1.1 million for benefiting from investment tips received from Walters"

"his lawyer said that if called as a witness, Mickelson would keep his silence under the protection of the Fifth amendment."

[doran]

He makes over $45,000,000 per year, so I do not think he is too concerned with a paltry 2M gambling debt

[Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by doran

He makes over $45,000,000 per year, so I do not think he is too concerned with a paltry 2M gambling debt

Just another reason to question why he would risk it to trade on insider information. Since his lawyer said he would take the 5th, I guess we'll never know.

[ColdNoMore]

I like Lefty...a lot.

Having said that, too many stories about Phil pulling a few shady things, makes me think that like all of us (or at least those who are honest and don't stand on a pulpit and try to convince otherwise )...he's far from perfect.

On the big scale, his support of Amy when she had cancer and putting his daughter first...weighs the scale in his favor in my mind.

[Bay Kid]

Love Phil

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Originally Posted by Jayhawk

From the same article:

"Mickelson was forced to pay federal regulators $1.1 million for benefiting from investment tips received from Walters"

"his lawyer said that if called as a witness, Mickelson would keep his silence under the protection of the Fifth amendment."

Yes, he was forced to pay $1.1 million, but the outcome of the investigation showed that although his financial guy benefitted from insider trading, Phil was unaware of the fact. Naturally, he had to repay the money, but the fact that he wasn't charged speaks volumes.

No one is 100% good or bad. We all have our faults and some people who are guilty of horrific acts can sometimes have some good qualities.

Phil makes $45 million a year. The fact that he likes to gamble a bit of it is nothing. He's never done anything that would put the financial stability of his family at risk.

Having $2 million in gambling debts, if that story is true, is like one of us losing $1,000 over the course of a few years.

[GolfGirl122]

Tell that to Pete Rose