Phil Mickelson, former Arizona State golf phenom (many years ago), has allegedly bet $1 billion on sports in the last three decades, according to a new memoir entitled “Gambler: Secrets from a Life of Risk” by well-known bettor Billy Walters.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!As first reported by Fire Pit Collective, Walters details that Mickelson has lost a staggering $100 million gambling, averaged nine bets per day since 2011, made 43 MLB bets in a single day and once asked Walters to bet $400,000 for him on Team USA in a Ryder Cup he was playing in.
According to a new memoir by Billy Walters, Phil Mickelson wagered $1 billion on sports in the last three decades.
The book says Mickelson:
• Has lost nearly $100 million gambling
• Averaged 9 bets per day in 2011
• Made 43 MLB bets in one day
• Tried to bet on a Ryder Cup… pic.twitter.com/RlXTNIwGxu— Front Office Sports (@FOS) August 10, 2023
The Ryder Cup accusation is a very serious one. When Mickelson asked Walters about it, Walters responded by saying: “Have you lost your f***ing mind? Don’t you remember what happened to Pete Rose? You’re seen as the modern-day Arnold Palmer. You’d risk all that for this? I want no part of it.”
Mickelson put out a statement on Thursday afternoon denying the Ryder Cup allegations.
“I never bet on the Ryder Cup,” he said. “While it is well known that I always enjoy a friendly wager on the course, I would never undermine the integrity of the game. I have also been very open about my gambling addiction. I have previously conveyed my remorse, took responsibility, have gotten help, have been fully committed to therapy that has positively impacted me and I feel good about where I am now.
I never bet on 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.
I have also been very open about my gambling addiction. I have previously conveyed my remorse, took responsibility, have…
— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) August 10, 2023
Walters is a businessman from Las Vegas and is widely regarded as the most successful American bettor ever. According to the book excerpts, the two met at the 2006 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. They formed a betting partnership in 2008, which gave Walters access to offshore sportsbook accounts that Mickelson used to place big wagers.
However, their partnership ended in spring 2014 (see more below).
Mickelson has widely been known for his gambling addiction, but these new reports take it to another level.
41 seconds of Phil Mickelson degenning like crazy pic.twitter.com/Cs0GVHwyVt
— Pete Hailey (@PeteHaileyNBCS) August 8, 2023
Some more numbers from the book on the six-time major champion:
Hall of Fame numbers from Phil Mickelson pic.twitter.com/clqqnmfzty
— Barstool Gambling (@stoolgambling) August 10, 2023
Mickelson’s past with gambling
Court documents from 2015 in a money laundering case show that Mickelson transferred nearly $3 million to an intermediary of “an illegal gambling operation.” Furthermore, he was also traced to court documents from a 2007 trial of an alleged mob bookie by The Detroit News in 2021.
Mickelson was not charged in either case.
Mickelson admitted to Sports Illustrated in June of 2022 that his gambling habits had become an “addiction” and out of control. Two months ago, Mickelson responded to a question about his gambling habits on social media by saying: “Haven’t gambled in years. Almost a billionaire now. Thanks for asking.”
Okay, this is, I think, the most epic Mickelson gambling story extant. From "Phil":
Tom Candiotti, the former big-league pitcher, was once
among a big group of friends Mickelson invited to Las Vegas for the opening day of the NFL season. They woke up early in Scottsdale and flew…— Fire Pit Collective (@firepitstories) August 10, 2023
On the golf course, excluding the large amount of money he has made from endorsements, Mickelson has netted around $96.6 million in PGA Tour winnings. Last year, “Lefty” signed with LIV Golf for a reported $200 million.
A rocky end to Walters’ and Mickelson’s relationship
Walters and Mickelson stopped their relationship in 2014 after it was reported that federal authorities were looking into a series of stock trades the two of them had made.
Their subsequent falling-out came when Mickelson did not testify in an insider trading case against Walters.
According to ESPN, “In April 2017, Walters was convicted on charges of conspiracy, securities fraud and wire fraud and was sentenced to five years in federal prison. His sentence was eventually commuted by then-President Donald Trump.”
In Walter’s book, he writers: “Phil Mickelson, one of the most famous people in the world and a man I once considered a friend, refused to tell a simple truth that he shared with the FBI and could have kept me out of prison. I never told him I had inside information about stocks and he knows it. All Phil had to do was publicly say it. He refused.”
Mickelson’s time at ASU
Mickelson started his college career at ASU in 1989 and became arguably the best amateur ever.
He won individual national titles his freshman and sophomore years. He was just one of seven players to accomplish the feat.
Mickelson was an All-American in all four years he played at ASU (1989-1993).
Click here for his ASU profile.
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Brendan Mau is a college sports insider and general assignment reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
