Phil Mickelson has faced his share of scrutiny and, at times, has openly courted it. Rarely has he been dragged into a controversy.
Instead, “Lefty” usually has jumped in with both feet, assuming one of them was not in his mouth.
This time, he has little to say.
In a surprising move, Mickelson last week was linked to an insider-trading investigation by US federal authorities. While it is not unusual for PGA Tour officials to confer with a player after a round, when Federal Bureau of Investigation agents appear, as was the case last Thursday, things can get untidy.
“From a golf standpoint, it wasn’t a bad week,” Mickelson said after finishing joint 49th last weekend at the Memorial.
Talk about parsing words.
Authorities are probing if certain stock transactions were made with the benefit of information provided by market insiders, which is against federal law.
If it seems like the stuff of potential wrist slaps, please note: the US businesswoman and television personality Martha Stewart served five months of prison time on similar charges.
In his limited responses to the insider-trading story, Mickelson, who is off to his worst start in 22 professional seasons, has maintained he has done nothing wrong.
Amid these distractions, the five-time major winner turns 44 on June 16, which is an accounting reality that cannot be disputed.
If Lefty LLC were a stock option at next week’s US Open, we would be selling.
selling@thenational.ae
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