Phil Mickelson has enjoyed a solid season on LIV Golf and the 55-year-old is still going strong, but the same cannot be said for HyFlyers teammates Andy Ogletree and Brendan Steele
Phil Mickelson is safe from LIV Golf relegation heading into this weekend’s season finale, but the HyFlyers captain will have half an eye on the race to beat the drop.
The six-time major champion’s teammate, Andy Ogletree, is in deep relegation trouble heading into Friday’s opening round of LIV Golf Indianapolis at Chatham Hills. The 27-year-old, who showed plenty of potential as an amateur and won the Silver Cup at The Masters in 2020, has endured a dismal season.
Ogletree is 50th in the standings going into the final individual event of the season, with no top-15 finishes in his 12 starts this year. Players who finish in 49th place and below in the season-long standings will be relegated and face at least 12 months in the wilderness, with Ryder Cup icons among those at risk of the drop.
Georgia Tech alum Ogletree has just 4.93 points this season but is 0.59 points adrift of Henrik Stenson in the final spot above the dotted line.
As a result, just a top-24 finish could be enough for Ogletree to avoid relegation if the players around him in the standings struggle in Indianapolis. But the consequences will be severe if he fails to get the job done this weekend.
In addition to being locked out of LIV for at least 12 months, Ogletree will have few places to play next season if he suffers relegation. The PGA Tour suspends players for at least a year after their final LIV event, and Ogletree would have limited opportunities to compete on the DP World Tour as he falls short of the membership criteria.
Instead, he would likely find himself back on the Asian Tour. The Little Rock, Mississippi, native has a strong record on the Asian circuit, with two wins in 2023 helping him win the International Series Order of Merit, which earned his place on LIV.
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For Mickelson, losing Ogletree would create a headache. The captain would be responsible for securing a replacement, and although it would present an opportunity to secure an upgrade, LIV’s recruitment drive has slowed since the splurges of 2022 and 2023.
Fewer well-known players have made the jump from the PGA Tour to LIV over the past two seasons after the exodus of top talent when the breakaway league was in its infancy.
Instead, LIV has changed focus to creating its own stars, with the likes of Josele Ballester and Caleb Surratt signed straight from the amateurs and finding their feet in the pro ranks on LIV. Mickelson could follow the same route, but recruiting an unproven youngster would certainly come with its risks.
Ogletree is not the only HyFlyers member Mickelson has to worry about this weekend. Brendan Steele has also had a tough year, with the 42-year-old in 46th place and only just clear of the Drop Zone.
A poor weekend in Indianapolis for Steele and Ogletree could leave Mickelson with two vacant spots to fill on his team heading into next season.
Three-time Masters Champion Mickelson has enjoyed a much better season on an individual level. The 55-year-old is 22nd in the standings after three top-10s this year, including a third-place finish in Hong Kong.
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