If you thought Alan Shipnuck’s article and book were bad news for Phil Mickelson, then wait for August.
The article, posted on The FirePit Collective website and titled ‘The Truth About Phil Mickelson and Saudi Arabia’, started the infamous treadmill of LIV news, resulting in lawsuits, bitter disputes between players and rows surrounding the official world ranking points.
The publishers of Shipnuck’s unauthorised biography are now set to release ‘Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk’, a book by famed gambler Billy Walters, detailing his relationship with the three-time Masters champion.
Co-written by Armen Keteyian, who also co-wrote ‘Tiger Woods’, the publication is set to cause a stir when published on August 15th, two days after the 11th event of a 14 tournament LIV schedule.
Per the press release: “Walters also breaks his silence about his long and complicated relationship with Hall of Fame professional golfer Phil Mickelson.”
Perhaps it’s a coincidence that the event is at Trump National Bedminster, as the book will surely reveal more about Walters’ early release from a prison sentence, served on him after being found guilty of ten counts of insider trading. President Donald Trump commuted the sentence as one of his last acts of office, with the White House claiming Mickelson–as well as swing instructor Butch Harmon and TV commentators David Feherty and Peter Jacobsen–helped with the commutation.
Whilst Mickelson’s attorney strongly denied the claim, his connection to Walters remains strong via a link with profits made from insider trading, helping him pay off a near $2 million gambling debt.
In May last year, Shipnuck revealed that Walters refused an offer to speak to him, instead preferring to publish his thoughts in his own book.
He summed up the forthcoming release with: “Phil’s nervous about that book, and he probably should be.”
