Gary Player defends Phil Mickelson and attacks women who don’t dress ‘nicely’

Golf legend Gary Player has had enough of cancel culture, enough of our litigious society and enough of “women with damn dresses up their bum.”

Phil Mickelson will be a notable absentee from Augusta this year. Picture: Getty

Missing three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson is being “crucified” for his support of a Saudi-backed rival tour, golf legend Gary Player says.

Player, 86, an honorary starter at Augusta, caused a stir of his own by wearing a Golf Saudi logo on his collar before declaring one of the reasons he enjoyed travelling to India was that you don’t see “women with damn dresses up their bum”.

“I love India, the intelligence, the technology, the manners … the women dress so nicely,” Player said.

“I’m so used to seeing women with damn dresses up their bum, and you don’t see anything like that in India.”

Honorary starter and Masters champion Gary Player has spoken his mind. Picture: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Mickelson, a no show at Augusta this year, has gone into hiding after coming out in support of the controversial Saudi-bankrolled LIV Invitational Series.

The six-time major winner described the Arab nation as “scary motherf***ers” but said their money could finally give PGA players better financial options.

Player said the reaction to Mickelson’s comments had been “pitiful”.

“I have a special thought on Phil Mickelson,” Player said.

“I think we live in a time now when we are such a judgmental society, a litigious society, a critical society, where people get crucified.

Phil Mickelson has avoided Augusta National this year.

“The greatest PR man on the golf Tour in the last five or X amount of years has been Phil Mickelson. He has been the ideal man for a sponsor, for professional golf, for the public, the way he’s handled the public, with dignity and with love.

“And he makes a mistake, which every one of you in this room have made a damn mistake. “We all have. And he said he’s sorry …

“He should go on with his life. I think it’s pitiful … from the epitome of perfection, he’s down there being crucified. It’s not right. He said terrible things, but we all make mistakes.”

THE TRUTH BEHIND MICKELSON’S MASTERS ‘SNUB’

Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson has gone AWOL at Augusta but tournament chiefs insist he wasn’t uninvited.

Mickelson, who hasn’t missed a Masters for 27 years, has been incommunicado since making a series of explosive comments about a Greg Norman-led, Saudi-backed rival golf league.

“We did not disinvite Phil,” Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred Ridley declared on Wednesday.

“Phil is a three-time Masters champion and is invited in that category and many other categories; he’s the defending PGA champion.

“Phil reached out to me … and let me know that he did not intend to play. That was by way of a text. And I thanked him for his courtesy in letting me know …

“He made a personal decision … he’s been a big part of our history. We certainly wish him the best sort of working through the issues he’s dealing with right now.”

Phil Mickelson will be a notable absentee from Augusta this year. Picture: Getty

Mickelson has been a leading proponent of Norman’s controversial plans for a breakaway tour bankrolled by the Saudis.

The 2004, 2006 and 2010 Masters champ recently described the Arab nation as “scary motherf***ers” but said their money could finally give PGA players better options.

Friend Bryson DeChambeau this week said he had been unable to contact Mickelson.

“I’ve tried to reach out, but he’s gone dark,” DeChambeau said. “There’s no contact.”

Asked if he had a view on Norman’s concept or whether players could be banned from the Masters if they defected to a rival league, Ridley said: “Our mission is always to act in the best interests of the game in whatever form that may take.

“I think that golf’s in a good place right now. There’s more participation. Purses on the professional tours are the highest they have ever been. Clubs and courses I think are in healthy financial positions.

“The youth that are emerging at a competitive level is just amazing …we have been pretty clear in our belief that the world tours have done a great job in promoting the game over the years. Beyond that, there’s so much that we don’t know about what might happen or could happen.”

After unveiling changes to holes 11 and 15 this year, Ridley suggested the time was coming when Augusta’s “iconic”par-five 13th hole would also be lengthened.

He declined to reveal how many female members the golf club had but said the decision to accept women 10 years ago had improved “our culture”.

“We are a better club, we are a better organisation, and we’re very proud to have women among our membership,” Ridley said.