Golf superstar Phil Mickelson is facing a pretty serious allegation as prominent sports gambler Billy Walters revealed that Mickelson once asked him to place a bet on his behalf on a Ryder Cup in which Mickelson was competing.
Billy Walters details the interaction with Phil Mickelson in his new book “Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk,” explaining that he and Mickelson had a partnership that allowed him to make use of Mickelson’s betting accounts and massive betting limits.
“In late September 2012, Phil called me from Medinah Country Club just outside Chicago, site of the 39th Ryder Cup matches between the United States and Europe. He was feeling supremely confident that the American squad led by Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson, and Phil himself was about to reclaim the Cup from the Euros. He was so confident that he asked me to place a $400,000 wager for him on the U.S. team to win,” Walters said in his book, according to Golf Digest.
Walters refused and strongly suggested that Mickelson reconsider the move.
“‘Have you lost your [freaking] mind?’ I told him. ‘Don’t you remember what happened to Pete Rose?’ The former Cincinnati Reds manager was banned from baseball for betting on his own team. ‘You’re seen as a modern-day Arnold Palmer,’ I added. ‘You’d risk all that for this? I want no part of it,’” Walters wrote.
It’s certainly a horrible accusation, and the golf world had plenty to say about it on social media.
Is that even possible https://t.co/vYt4DLqtQ9
— ¡BUM CHILLUPS AKA SPENCER HALL! (@edsbs) August 10, 2023
“He’s a big-time gambler, and big-time gamblers make big bets”
This should be the headline! https://t.co/9Uz2lxCxVQ
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) August 10, 2023
Believe in yourself, folks https://t.co/wVC2to7rhy
— Bunkie Perkins (@BunkiePerkins) August 10, 2023
My takeaway from this is mostly sadness. Phil was one of the best golfers of our time. He was exciting and fun, took insane risks. And now all we (understandably) talk about is this, scary motherfuckers and his fights w the tour. https://t.co/4QVL1DAcME
— Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) August 10, 2023
— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) August 10, 2023
https://twitter.com/NoNamePat/status/1689626539577544705?s=20
Wild. https://t.co/MgBC0Sw9tl
— Phil Blundell (@PhilBlundell) August 10, 2023
Walters does not know if Mickelson ever placed the bet by another means. But if he did, the bet would have lost.
