"I Want Him to Be Here More Than That": LIV Golf Pro Gets Honest About Phil Mickelson's LIV Golf Absence
DETROIT, MI - JULY 03: A silhouette of PGA, Golf Herren golfer Phil Mickelson as hits a shot on the 7th hole on July 3, 2021 during the Rocket Mortgage Classic at the Detroit Golf Club in Detroit, Michigan. Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire GOLF: JUL 03 PGA - Rocket Mortgage Classic Icon21070341
DETROIT, MI - JULY 03: A silhouette of PGA, Golf Herren golfer Phil Mickelson as hits a shot on the 7th hole on July 3, 2021 during the Rocket Mortgage Classic at the Detroit Golf Club in Detroit, Michigan. Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire GOLF: JUL 03 PGA - Rocket Mortgage Classic Icon21070341
LIV Golf pro Scott Vincent is sitting at T3 at LIV Golf Korea, filling in for Phil Mickelson who has missed six events this season due to a family matter.
Vincent spoke at the LIV Golf Korea press conference on May 29 at Asiad Country Club in Gijang, Busan, South Korea. The Zimbabwean is playing for the HyFlyers GC this week. Through two rounds, Vincent sits at 5 under par, tied for third.
Vincent spoke candidly about Mickelson's status during a press conference at Asiad Country Club.
"I think not having Phil here is a big loss, not just for the team but for everyone," he said. "I really hope he gets back out here soon. It'll just be good for everyone. Of course, I want to keep playing for the team, but I want him to be here more than that."
Jun 12, 2025; Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA; Scott Vincent plays his shot from the first tee during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Jun 12, 2025; Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA; Scott Vincent plays his shot from the first tee during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Mickelson has missed six LIV Golf events this season. He played just the LIV event in South Africa in March, finishing tied for 48th out of 57 players.
He also missed the Masters, and his status for the PGA Championship remained unresolved. Vincent stepped into the HyFlyers lineup as his replacement.
Vincent posted the only bogey-free round of the day in Round 1, shooting a 5-under 65. He finished solo fourth in Mexico City and tied for eighth in Virginia, the team's two best individual performances of the season.
LIV Golf Pro On Playing Alongside Bryson And What the Course Is Actually Doing
Vincent also spoke about playing alongside Bryson DeChambeau and what the Asiad Country Club is actually doing to the field.
He played a round alongside DeChambeau and Charles Howell III. The galleries, the energy, the noise, Vincent said, force you to focus a little bit more.
"There's a lot of energy. The crowd is cheering for you, and there's just a buzz about playing in front of people like that," he said. "It definitely forces you to focus in a little bit more because you're trying not to get caught up in what's going on outside the ropes."
On the course itself, Vincent said the Asiad Country Club caught most players off guard. "I don't think most of us expected it to play this hard," he said.
"Coming out of the rough is almost impossible just to hold the green, and then you've got the wind all over the place." He noted the course looks simpler than it plays. "There's a lot of things about this course that look very simple, but it actually plays so much harder than that."
The Rees Jones-designed course is a 7,024-yard par 70, and it is playing much harder than usual.
Two par-5 holes were changed into par-4s, making scoring more difficult. Vincent looked at the leaderboard and said, “I think 8-under is leading right now. The course is playing tough, and that’s good.”
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Written by
Sneha Abraham
Edited by
Pulkit Prabhav