News
Court documents reveal Phil Mickelson once paid $1.95 million in gambling debts

Phil Mickelson is a gambler. Whether money is involved or not, Mickelson takes risks. It could be going for the green from the pine straw on Sunday at No. 13 at Augusta or throwing a couple dollars on a Monday game with Keegan Bradley.
Lefty got himself caught up with the law in an insider trading case in 2016, however, where he was linked with professional gambler Billy Walters who’s now on trial in a Manhattan federal court. While Mickelson is absolved of any wrongdoing and will not need to testify in the case, it was revealed in court the amount of money that’s at stake when Mickelson gambles.
According to the New York Post, court documents showed that Mickelson once paid Walters $1.95 million for gambling debts in 2012. And the way it sounds, that wasn’t the first time Mickelson had to pony up that kind of dough.
“Mr. Mickelson owed similar debt to Mr. Walters in the past,” prosecutor Brooke Cucinella told the jury.
Keep in mind that court documents also revealed Mickelson “earned $48 million” in 2012, and Forbes estimated his net worth to be $375 million in 2016.
News
Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear
OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.
LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break
Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.
Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.
On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.
On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.
On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.
PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home
Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.
On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.
Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?
Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.
Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?
PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates
Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.
Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.
Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.
Card III and Bacha both miss their birdie tries on the first playoff hole.
We’ll play 18 again @OspreyOpen. pic.twitter.com/vNpHTdkHDg
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) August 3, 2025
Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.
Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.
Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.
General Albums
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #1
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #2
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Davis Riley – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Scotty Kennon – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Austin Duncan – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Will Chandler – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kevin Roy – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ben Griffin – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ryan Gerard – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Adam Schenk – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kurt Kitayama – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Camilo Villegas – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matti Schmid – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
Pullout Albums
- Denny McCarthy’s custom Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Swag Golf putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Karl Vilips TM MG5 wedges – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- New Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matt Fitzpatrick’s custom Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
News
BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX
7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)
Fat Perez
Apr 3, 2017 at 1:31 pm
How can you not love the Dill Pickle apologists? Deep guys crack me up!!
Justin
Apr 2, 2017 at 12:04 am
I have first hand seen Phil gamble. He came to coto De Gaza in Orange county and played a kid on the canadian tour. Gave him one and one in a nassau and lost 40k. Walked out to his Escalade and brought back 40k and went home. Game was set up by a bookie who lives in OC. True story.
joro
Apr 3, 2017 at 11:42 am
Aren’t you special.
Johnnylongballz
Apr 1, 2017 at 3:59 am
2 Million is to Phil as 50 bucks is to me. Why did I read this, and why am I commenting????
Mr Muira
Apr 1, 2017 at 1:28 am
Old news that we already knew, move on.
Jack
Apr 1, 2017 at 12:40 am
Anyone really dumb enough to think that Phil only gambled 1.95 million? Phil has changed sponsors to have gambling debts nearly 10X that large paid off. That’s how he got to Callaway. But that’s his business.
MuskieCy
Apr 1, 2017 at 12:14 am
Phil Mickelson stole from investors who didn’t have the inside information.
He paid the SEC enough so he didn’t have to testify in court.
It would be very difficult to be in the Witness Protection Program and play the PGA Tour.
MuskieCy
Apr 1, 2017 at 12:10 am
Phil Mickelson admitted using insider information. That is stealing from legitimate investors.
He paid off the SEC so no court testimony was required.
It would be very hard to be in the Witness Protection Program and play the PGA Tour.
BB
Apr 1, 2017 at 5:51 am
Witness Protection Program? Yeah, no one knows what Phil looks like. He would just blend in with the upper middle-class suburbanites.
matt_bear
Mar 31, 2017 at 12:54 pm
Phil is apex predator status. He plays for meaning. He needs action. I understand him. $2 million is nothing if you’re making $40+ a year. From interviews and his past history it appears that he takes care of his family, so I doubt the gambling is an issue.
McPickens
Mar 31, 2017 at 2:08 pm
nailed it
S Hitter
Mar 31, 2017 at 8:31 pm
Yeah. It’s not like he’s texting his bookies during the round or summin’ lmao
MuskieCy
Mar 31, 2017 at 11:46 pm
Yep, only wagering 2.5% of his gross annual income on a silly golf thing. Nothing desperate or sad about that.
How about 7.5% of net income? To a well known fixer.
Think any “oh that’s Phil being Phil” stupid stuff was stroke shaving? Point shaving always occurs on unexplained mistakes to insure betting outcomes.
matt_bear
Apr 1, 2017 at 10:44 pm
He wouldn’t point shave because his #1 priority is winning.
Bob Chipeska
Mar 31, 2017 at 12:24 pm
Is he stealing from or harming others to pay off his gambling debts? No? Then it is nobody’s f***** business.
S Hitter
Mar 31, 2017 at 8:32 pm
We thought we got rid of youse for good you worthless piece of s……
MuskieCy
Mar 31, 2017 at 11:53 pm
He is stealing from investors who didn’t have the inside information.
He paid off his gambling debt, $1.9M and now has paid the SEC $1.95M to keep his sorry ass from testifying against Walters.
It would be hard to be a a PGA Tour player and in the Witness Protection Program at the same time. Just ask PM.
MuskieCy
Mar 31, 2017 at 11:59 pm
Phil Mickleson stole from investors who didn’t have the same insider information. He paid off the SEC so he didn’t have to testify in court against Walters.
It would be tough to play on the PGA Tour and participate in the Witness Protection Program.
joro
Apr 3, 2017 at 11:47 am
You are right, me too, and of course you, so what is your goal in life? Hope it is being the stupidest cause you are very good at it. Congratulations and Have a nice day. ha ha ha ha ha