Mickelson supports Masters invite for one of LIV's hottest properties in 2023

Phil Mickelson has backed one of LIV Golf's hottest properties in 2023 to receive a late invite to the 2023 Masters.

Ben Smith's picture
Tue, 28 Mar 2023
Mickelson supports Masters invite for one of LIV's hottest properties in 2023

Phil Mickelson has backed Charles Howell III to earn a late invite to the 2023 Masters

Mickelson will soon be descending on Augusta National Country Club after skipping last year's major due to the fallout from his LIV shenanigans. 

A posse of LIV players will be joining Mickelson, 52, who slipped on the green jacket in 2004, 2006 and 2010. 

At the time of writing, as many as 18 LIV players have qualified. GolfMagic has written a detailed piece here outlining how we think they will fare

A number of players are still fighting to crack the top-50 to earn their spots. Rickie Fowler needs a win in Texas to return to Georgia. 

But Mickelson wants one more LIV player in attendance. That would be Howell, who tasted victory at the first LIV Golf event of 2023. 

Howell is Georgia native and according to one source, Augusta National officials are weighing up whether to send out another invite.

Related: Brooks Koepka's Masters prep involved a traffic cone 

Augusta National has already handed out two special invites for this year's event. 

Those went to amateur Gordon Sargent and Japan Tour pro Kazuki Higa set to make their debuts at the Masters.

See Mickelson's endorsement here: 

Howell was known for his remarkably consistent PGA Tour career, having spent more than 775 weeks inside the top-100 of the OWGR. 

He made more than 600 PGA Tour starts, winning on three occasions and amassing more than $40m in prize money. 

Remarkably, he was made to wait more than a decade between his second and perhaps (?) last victory on the PGA Tour. 

Howell won the 2007 Nissan Open. The player who finished second? Phil Mickelson. Howell won again at the 2018 RSM Classic. 

"I would sneak onto Amen Corner" 

In a previous interview with bunkered, Howell re-called how we would sneak onto Augusta National as a junior. 

He told the publication:

"It was right there We would sneak down there and hit some bunker shots and hit some putts and you would see security coming and you’d run back up.
"There was a hole in the fence back there and we would sneak onto Amen Corner and we could run down and putt some on the 12th green.
"We would kind of tee off on the 13th but you had to leave the ball because you couldn’t go out and grab the ball before you really got in trouble.
"Now, they bought that land from Augusta Country Club back there and you can't get down there anymore, so the junior golfers of today can't do what we did.
"But, oh, absolutely we did that. No doubt about it." 

We're not too sure if Augusta will be too keen on inviting Howell given this admission!

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