Last week, ESPN, citing sources, reported that Mickelson sent $2.75 million for gambling purposes to Gregory Silveira in March 2010.
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Trump, 69, owns courses that have ties to almost all major golf organisations and claimed in January this year that the European Tour’s Scottish Open would be staged at his course north of Aberdeen. He didn’t give much insight, instead giving a vague answer about the situation, as noted by ESPN.
While he didn’t address the controversy head-on, Mickelson circled around the topic, saying, “People are going to say things good; they are going to say things bad; they are going to say things true; they are going to say things not true”. Speaking Wednesday ahead of the Scottish Open, Mickelson says?the fact is I?m comfortable enough with who I am as a person that I don?t feel I need to comment on every little report that comes out.? It’s unclear what caused the initial investigation into the operation.
While Masters and United States Open champion Jordan Spieth has controversially chose to prepare for the Open – and possible third leg of a calendar grand slam – by playing in the John Deere Classic this week, Mickelson relishes his yearly trip to Scotland.
He’s had a mediocre season on the course, with no wins and just three top-10 finishes in 13 starts. More importantly, however, Gullane is only a few miles from Muirfield, where Mickelson won the 2013 Open Championship.
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“I think we were all disappointed to hear his comments”, Mickelson said. “Bones and I were talking about how we would like to go over and spend some time”. I look at him as one of the best players the game has ever seen and I look at him with a lot of respect in that regard. I view him as a great champion. In 2009, when he nearly won [at Turnberry, where Watson lost in a playoff to Stewart Cink], I was pulling as hard as anybody. McIlroy was ruled out of the Scottish Open and his status for the Open Championship won’t be determined until later this week. Mickelson closed with a 6-under 66 – playing the last six holes in 4 under – to lift the claret jug for the first time, for what he says is “probably the most special victory of my career”. “I can’t talk about that for the simple reason I did it myself, ” Mickelson said. I don’t feel like anything he was doing was unnecessary risk. “I will definitely do it”.
