Book: Phil Mickleson made over $1B in wagers, attempted to bet on Ryder Cup

Golfer Phil Mickelson has bet $1 billion on sports over the past three decades, according to a new autobiography from sports gambler Billy Walters.

Mickelson, the former PGA Tour star who joined LIV Golf in 2022, had a gambling partnership with Walters from 2010 to 2014, Walters wrote in an excerpt of his Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk book. Mickelson is said to have lost nearly $100 million on gambling, and he allegedly asked Walters to place a $400,000 for him in 2012 on Team USA to win the Ryder Cup, but Walters refused to place the bet for Mickelson since he played in the tournament.

Between his PGA Tour earnings and LIV Golf payday, Mickelson has made over $1 billion during his golf career, banked by over $800 million in endorsements, according to Forbes. Mickelson, 53, has talked openly about his gambling problem. 

“Gambling has been part of my life ever since I can remember. But about a decade ago is when I would say it became reckless. It’s embarrassing. I don’t like that people know,” Mickelson said in a 2022 interview with Sports Illustrated.  “And I’ve been addressing it for a number of years. And for hundreds of hours of therapy. I feel good where I’m at there. My family and I are and have been financially secure for some time.”

Other claims made in the new book from Walters include Mickelson making 43 bets on MLB games in one day in 2011, resulting in $143,500 in losses. In 2011 alone, he allegedly made 3,154 bets—an average of nearly nine wagers daily.

Mickelson’s LIV Golf announced Simplebet as its official betting partner in June. The PGA Tour, which has agreed to merge with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf, has several existing sports betting sponsorships with DraftKings, PointsBet, BetMGM, Bet365, and betPARX.