Michigan State alumni James Piot joins Phil Mickelson’s LIV Golf team for this season

Michigan State alumni James Piot joins Phil Mickelson’s LIV Golf team for this season

James Piot joins Phil Mickelson's team in LIV Golf (Image Credits: Detroit Free Press)

Phil Mickelson has chosen Michigan State alumni James Piot to be part of his four-man team for the LIV Golf season this year. Piot won the 2021 US Amateur championship and will play alongside Cameron Tringale and Brendan Steele in Mickelson’s team.

LIV Golf will feature 12 teams this year, each having four members. The tournaments will feature 48 players participating in individual and team championships. James Piot signed with LIV in 2022 and signed a deal that included a $3 million signing bonus. Considering Piot’s prior no professional experience beyond college levels, this is a massive deal for an athlete who recently graduated.

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Phil Mickelson will be captaining the LIV Golf team HY Flyers GC team with some other big names in this Saudi-backed league. Former PGA stars such as Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Brooks Koepka are among the most famous golf personalities to join this rival tour to the PGA.

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James Piot joins Phil Mickelson’s HY Flyers GC team in LIV Golf

Phil Mickelson completes his team HY Flyers GC (Image Credits: Sports Illustrated)

24-year-old James Piot will join other names, such as Brendan Steele and Cameron Tringale, in Phil Mickelson’s LIV Golf team. There will be 12 teams participating in the team tournaments and 48 players playing in both individual and team competitions.

Phil Mickelson has been one of the most prominent faces for LIV Golf, signing a deal worth $200 million in 2022. However, signing with LIV has had significant repercussions for Mickelson, as he had to face suspension from PGA. Recently, his comments criticizing the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia led to his eventual fate with the PGA Tour.

Piot, on the other hand, joined LIV Golf fresh out of college. He earned an estimated $2 million in prize money in the 2022 season, which made him rank 35th on the LIV money list. However, Piot’s decision to play with LIV Golf has been scrutinized by the controversies related to the rival tour.

LIV Golf is believed to be a propaganda and agenda of sports washing by the Saudi Arabian government to cover their human rights track record. When such controversies started piling against Piot. For this, Piot had an explanation for the press.

Speaking to The News in 2022, Piot said, “For me, it’s just about the journey of playing golf. I understand there’s a lot of controversy. But for me, it’s an exciting opportunity … to be able to travel the world and make money doing it.”

Piot will have Dan Ellis, former Michigan state golf coach, as his caddie at LIV Golf. Ellis was also there with Piot for his Masters appearance last spring. He quit his position with Michigan State to earn a massive boost in his career with LIV Golf last year.

Speaking about his new team, Mickelson says, “It’s the perfect team for me and each member of the team. The right guys who all bring intangibles that will make our dynamic special. It’ll make the experience for the HY Flyers the best possible and help each of us play our best. That’s why I’m so excited!”

LIV Golf players will have the chance to compete for a prize pool worth $405 million in 2023. Even last-place golfers will earn vast amounts of money (in six figures) from the rival tour. To compete, PGA Tour has also increased its prize pool payouts with several elevated events. However, the PGA Tour’s payouts, compared to LIV’s 14 tournaments, are still less, with $500 million for 47 tournaments.

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