Team US Captain Zach Johnson Says Phil Mickelson “Would Do a Great Job” as Ryder Cup Captain Despite $400,000 Betting Allegations

In an exclusive interview with the Golfweek, following the Fortinet Championship, Team US Captain Zach Johnson, was seen advocating Phil Mickelson’s captaincy for the US Ryder Cup team when asked if he sees him leading the team someday.

Mickelson has been part of 12 Ryder Cup tournaments, and has also served as a vice captain under Steve Stricker at the 2021 Ryder Cup in Whistling Straits. He was thus prepared to be in the run for Captain had he not made a bridge-burning departure to the Saudi backed LIV Golf league. But is the six time major champion still part of the upcoming Ryder Cup discussions?

Team US Captain Explains Mickelson’s Involvement in The Upcoming Ryder Cup Conversations

In the exclusive Q&A, Zach Johnson was questioned about whether he had had any conversations with Mickelson regarding the upcoming Ryder Cup tournament, to which he said, “I’ve spoken to him about the Ryder Cup, but it’s been a long time since I’ve conversed with him. Just because he’s a friend, number one. And number two, he was extremely kind and congratulated me on my captaincy. He was always a quasi captain-leader, as a player. So, yeah, strange not to have him involved.”

Johnson also mentioned that he had spoken to the LIV golfer about the captaincy on several occasions in the last three of four years, and that he would be a great captain if given the chance: “I think he would do a great job if he was. But I don’t know if he wants to; you’d have to ask him.”

Mickelson failed to make the team this year and fans have been speculating if this was because of his betting allegations surrounding the Ryder Cup.

Phil Mickelson Comes Clean about His Gambling Addiction and Betting Allegations

In his upcoming book, ‘Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk,’ big time gambler Billy Walters accused his ‘partner in crime,’ Phil Mickelson, of betting close to $1 billion across various sports, including placing a whopping $400,000 wager on the 2012 Ryder Cup.

Embroiled in a swarm of allegations, the LIV defector finally opened up about his addiction on Tuesday via his Twitter (now X) account. He talked about how it was like a “hurricane” that greatly affected his life and personal relationships.

In the post, he also announced that he won’t be making any bets this NFL season: “I wont be betting this year because I crossed the line of moderation and into addiction which isn’t any fun at all,” and encouraged others who might be battling an addiction to enjoy the game and the time they have with their loved ones.

The three times Masters winner, however, denied being involved in any bets surrounding the Ryder Cup, “While it is well known that I always enjoy a friendly wager on the course, I would never undermine the integrity of the game,” he wrote on X.

The golfer was also part of a money laundering investigation involving Walters, and in his book the gambler alleges that Mickelson approached stockbroker Gregory Silveira requesting him to transfer “several million dollars” from his personal bank account into an offshore account to settle his betting debts.

In the scheme of things, it seems highly unlikely for now that Mickelson could captain, much less, be a part of the Ryder Cup team anytime in the future. He has a lot of demons to fight through.