Former LIV Golf star sends message to Phil | Golf News

Former LIV Golf participant James Piot had nothing but reward for his ex-team captain Phil Mickelson, despite dropping his spot on the insurgent circuit in 2023.

Piot was among 4 gamers who did not make the cut during LIV’s inaugural relegation course of. The former U.S. Amateur champion hasn’t managed to claw his method back since.

Mickelson had initially recruited the 26-year-old to be part of the HyFlyers, only for him to be dropped from the league almost two years later.

Since then, Piot has spent most of his time taking part in on the Asian Tour, a fallback option supplied to those relegated from the Saudi-backed league.

Recently, Piot returned stateside and obtained a sponsor exemption to take part in the PGA Tour for the first time since his LIV stint, teeing off at the Rocket Classic this week. Despite his LIV journey ending in relegation, it served as a vital studying expertise in his profession.

Having the chance to work alongside golf legend Mickelson was a spotlight for Piot, who spoke warmly of his former captain after his departure. “It was phenomenal, Phil is an awesome captain,” Piot shared with Mirror U.S. Sports while competing on the Asian Tour final season.

“He went over and beyond for what I expected from him as a captain. Walking in, I did not know what to expect, knowing he is one of the greatest players of all time, but I think he exceeded my expectations. He was a great mentor, captain, and a great leader.”

Piot’s focus has shifted to the PGA Tour as he prepares to play in his native space at Detroit Golf Club. The ex-LIV participant had initially deliberate to be part of the Monday qualifier this week, but then obtained an invitation to be part of the sector instantly from the event’s sponsors.

It was revealed that Piot was truly in the parking zone of the qualifying occasion when he received the call informing him that he had secured a place in the event. Rocket Classic’s head honcho Mark Hollis expressed his pleasure at the previous HyFlyers golfer accepting the invitation earlier in the week.

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“There was a lot of support, and it was one of the happiest calls I’ve made,” Hollis shared with Detroit News on Monday morning. “He’s somebody we wanted in from the get-go as we were going through the process. It had to play out the way it played out.”

Piot is clearly thrilled about the chance to take part in an occasion that holds particular significance for him.

“For it to actually happen is the coolest thing in the world,” Piot exclaimed. “It’s awesome. Just the fact that I finally get to play in the Rocket Classic is a dream come true. Ever since the event was created on the schedule, I wanted to be a part of it.”