John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Spieth knew better than to give a quote about Phil Mickelson and the Ryder Cup betting allegations after the first round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
Jordan Spieth fired off a bogey-free 63 on Thursday at the FedEx Cup St. Jude Championship. He leads the field by one stroke, but that performance wasn’t enough to pull focus away from the golf bombshell of the week.
Despite holing out for an eagle on the par-5 16 and carding five more birdies, there were far more pressing subjects to discuss.
Phil Mickelson and the Fire Pit Collective exposé took the golf world by storm. The mind-blowing excerpt from Billy Walter’s new book, Gamber: Secrets from a Life at Risk, had a stranglehold on the media.
That focus prompted the media to ask Spieth about his thoughts on Mickelson and the allegations of him potentially betting on the 2012 Ryder Cup.
“I haven’t really seen a whole lot on it,” Spieth said. “I just saw what some people sent me and stuff… Even if I wanted to comment, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
The former Texas Longhorn gave a strategic answer. His public relations person likely gave him a look, and Spieth knew not to touch that topic.
Unlike Rory McIlroy, who drove another nail in the coffin with his Mickelson quote, Speith chose to be Switzerland.
The published excerpt from Walter’s new book alleges Mickelson’s gambling habits were far greater than initially reported. He alleged that Lefty wagered $1 billion over the past 30 years, sustaining over $100 million in losses.
However, the most damning part was Walter’s allegations of Mickelson approaching him about betting on the 2012 Ryder Cup.
At first, the 53-year-old denied comment during a LIV Golf Pro-Am at Trump Bedminster, but he finally responded later that evening on Thursday. Mickelson denied betting on the Ryder Cup and opened up about his therapy journey.
Walters’ book is available for purchase on Aug. 23. It will likely reveal even more details into Mickelson’s gambling addiction and history with his bookie.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and on Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.
