Phil Mickelson Calls Out Fred Couples for 'Low Class Jerk Move' Over Brooks Koepka Comments

Phil Mickelson slammed fellow pro-golfer Fred Couples in a now-deleted post on social media.

Mickelson, 54, who plays for LIV Golf, took issue with a comment from Couples, 65, claiming that fellow LIV golfer Brooks Koepka wanted to "come back" to the PGA Tour.

In a since-deleted tweet, Mickelson called out Couples' comments, according to Golf.com and Sports Illustrated. "If it’s not true, he damaged a relationship which he cares about," Mickelson wrote in a short-lived post on X.

"If it is true he took away Brook’s [sic] control of the timeline and narrative," Mickelson continued. "Either way this is a low class jerk move by Fred."

The post was deleted, but not before fans weighed in on the rift. "Fair point by Phil," one user wrote in a reply to a screenshot of Mickelson's post, adding, "Speak for yourself and your family, don’t speak for another man."

Another user agreed that Couples was out of line for speaking about Koepka's status. "I can’t really disagree with Phil here. Not sure why Fred would go out and talk about something that isn’t about him," the account said.

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But another user disagreed that Couples was out of line. "This isn't low class. It's calling a spade a spade. Fred is out doing the bidding of the Tour. He doesn't care one lick about Brooks," the user wrote.

Couples' comments regarding Koepka came during a radio interview with KJR 93.3 FM in Seattle. “I talk to Brooks Koepka all the time,” Couples said. “He wants to come back. I will say that: I believe he really wants to come back and play the Tour.”

Mickelson joined LIV Golf, a competitor of the PGA Tour, in 2022. At the time, Tiger Woods criticized the growing group of PGA Tour players who accepted suspensions to play with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series, telling reporters they had "turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position."

After Woods' comment, Mickelson said, "I have a lot of respect for him," of Woods, according to the Washington Post. "I respect his opinion. I think everybody's going to have strong emotions and opinions about it, and I certainly respect his."