Andy Ogletree enjoyed a solid year on the LIV Golf tour (Image: Getty)
A member of Phil Mickelson’s team has confirmed his plans for 2025. Andy Ogletree pocketed £2million this year on the Saudi-backed tour, placing him 36th out of 58 on the individual money list, just above former European stars Henrik Stenson, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter.
In the Team Championship, he was part of the HyFlyers quartet which finished tied-seventh. The former US Amateur champion has confirmed he will remain with the same team for 2025, telling LIV Golf’s “I’m under contract for next season and I can’t wait to be a HyFlyer.”
Speaking of his admiration for his legendary captain Mickelson, Ogletree added: “He’s really taken me under his wing this year. We talk a lot. We talk about a lot of different stuff, not just golf. He’s been such a great mentor.
“Anything he says, it’s very easy to believe because he says everything with so much confidence and belief and conviction. I feel like he really thinks through stuff before he speaks. I respect him a lot.”
Attention will now shift to the LIV Golf Promotions event in Abu Dhabi, a three-day shootout where relegated players will get the chance to retain their places on the lucrative tour. As and the PGA Tour and Europe’s DP World Tour over a merger continue, Ogletree believes those relegated players
“It’ll be interesting to see what happens in the off-season,” he said. “I’m curious to see how it all plays out with the guys in the open zone versus the guys in the relegation zone.
“I think the promotions event is going to be a little bigger this year. I’ve heard some rumours that some more PGA players are going to go over and play it. We’ll see but I think it’s going to be an exciting off-season for LIV.”
Andy Ogletree is full of admiration for HyFlyers captain Phil Mickelson (pictured) (Image: Getty)
In what appeared to be a major breakthrough in negotiations, the PGA has lifted its ban on LIV players qualifying for the Ryder Cup and playing in the PGA Championship.
The PGA of America said in a statement: “To ensure the PGA Championship will continue to deliver the strongest field in golf and that the US Ryder Cup team will continue to have access to the best American players, the PGA of America has determined that LIV Golf players will be eligible for both.
“Going forward, all LIV Golf players are eligible for the PGA Championship and any American player who qualifies for the Ryder Cup on points or is added to the US team as a captain’s pick is eligible to compete.
“This is consistent with LIV Golf players competing in the PGA Championship the past two years. [LIV player] Brooks Koepka was a member of the US Ryder Cup team last year.”