Phil Mickelson has revealed that he is considering retirement

Phil Mickelson, never lacking in confidence, for better or for worse, had trouble with the sentence.

He is considering retirement, but it took him a while to find the words to say.

“I'm 53 years old now,” Mickelson said, “and my career, you know, — to be honest, it's working — it's — I'm — it's coming to an end.”

The six-time major winner, now one of the faces of Saudi-backed LIV Golf, made the revelation during an interview for Bloomberg TV's upcoming episode of “Latitude with Haslinda Amin.” On Thursday, Bloomberg shared a 47-second video of the interview you can watch hereand published an essay co-authored by Amin and Giles Turner, which you can read here.

This week, Mickelson is playing the LIV event in Singapore, and at a press conference Thursday morning, he didn't talk about retirement. Notably, the session was light — at one point, he was asked about being “the OG of golf videos,” which elicited this response:

“No, I'm just talking a lot of stupid things that go viral.”

Later in the press conference, Mickelson was asked where he sees LIV in the next five to ten years, and he was vague.

“I think a lot of things will happen in the next five or 10 years,” he said. “I'm very excited and excited about what that means for LIV Golf.

“But there is also a lot of uncertainty. I think what I do know is that I think the quality of the players will continue to improve every year. I think the talent and sites we're bringing to the world will continue to delight players and delight fans. We will go to many countries outside of the United States that are really hungry for quality golf, and we will have as much of a reception as we had in Adelaide. [where LIV played last week].

“Since Singapore and the Ministry of Tourism have participated and liked the event last year, they want us to come back, it seems to be the case now that many countries are negotiating and trying to get the LIV event there. So I see the world golf game growing at a very high rate.

“I think that is exciting for everyone involved in this game because we will reach markets that we have not reached before. I think it will encourage more golf courses, encourage more manufacturers to sell clubs and equipment, but also encourage young kids to try playing golf professionally. I can only see that the game of golf will grow worldwide because of the excitement and presence that LIV Golf has.”

In a short video shared by Bloomberg, Mickelson did not say when he would retire. He followed his opening remarks by saying that he wanted to “help others find the same joy, fulfillment that the game of golf has given me.”

“I would like them to hear that too,” he continued. “So there are times when you go out on the golf course by yourself and you find this fun thing, being very alone, and peaceful. Or when you are with your family and friends when you are laughing and having fun. Or if you're competing in a club tournament or a small event, like you're feeling that competition. Or if you play golf at the highest level and compete against the best players in the world. Like all that creates such fulfillment, whether you're practicing alone or with friends. There are so many great things about the game of golf, and I would love for others to experience those things.”

And in the Bloomberg story, Mickelson said he doesn't believe a deal should be made that would unite LIV players with the PGA Tour. The LIV is currently playing its third season, and the Tour and LIV's backer, the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, continues to negotiate a sponsorship deal that was first announced last June.

“The competition that both tours provide boosts both tours,” Mickelson told Bloomberg. “Is there a need for integration? Probably not. But it would be a good thing if there was no hostility.”

Editor's note: To read the full Bloomberg and Mickelson story, please click here. Bloomberg and Mickelson's upcoming video, meanwhile, will be displayed here.

Nick Piastowski

Golf.com Editor

Nick Piastowski is a Senior Editor at Golf.com and Golf Magazine. In his role, he is responsible for planning, writing and promoting news on the golf course. And when he's not writing about how to hit the golf ball forward and straight, the Milwaukee native is probably playing the game, hitting the ball left, right and short, and drinking a cold beer to wash down his scores. You can contact him about any of these topics – his news, his game or his beer – at [email protected].