Golf great Phil Mickelson wasn’t anywhere near a courthouse in California on Monday when a 57-year-old money launderer was sentenced to a year and a day in prison. The name of the three-time Masters winner didn’t even come up.
But for the second time in less than a month, Mickelson’s gambling was linked to court proceedings in which a suspected gambling associate faced criminal charges. Gregory Silveira, who was also fined $18,000, had pleaded guilty to money laundering for transferring $2.75 million between bank accounts in March 2010 for an unidentified client to promote an illegal gambling operation. Mickelson was the gambler, according to a man who describes himself as a longtime friend of Silveira’s and two other people familiar with the matter.
In a different case three weeks ago, Mickelson agreed to pay back almost $1 million he earned by trading on a stock tip from friend and gambler William “Billy” Walters, according to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Walters, who faces charges of insider trading, has pleaded not guilty. Mickelson hasn’t been accused of wrongdoing in either case.
Threaten Image
Mickelson’s ties to the two men threaten the image of one of the game’s most popular players and forces the PGA Tour -- which is considering allowing online casinos to host real-time gambling on its tournaments -- to confront whether his betting puts the sport at risk. The code of conduct tells players not to associate with gamblers and others who “might reflect adversely upon the integrity of the game.”
Therein lies a dilemma: Can the tour turn around and court gambling without attracting professional gamblers, or even criminals, who are drawn to big bettors like Mickelson?
“The slippery slope would be very slippery,” said former PGA Tour player Joe Ogilvie, who was a member of the Tour’s Player Advisory Council as well as the policy board during his playing career. “You do not want fringe groups that may not have the player’s best interest at heart exerting pressure on the player by means we may not be aware of.”
Officials at the PGA Tour won’t say whether Mickelson violated the code or if they’re investigating. Unlike other professional sports leagues, the tour’s policy is to not to comment whether players are disciplined. A spokesman, Ty Votaw, wouldn’t answer questions about Mickelson.
Representatives for Mickelson also declined to comment. Previously, Mickelson’s attorney, Gregory Craig, said he was an “innocent bystander” to Walters’ alleged trading scheme and that Mickelson would return his proceeds because he didn’t want to benefit from a transaction the “S.E.C. sees as questionable.”
In many ways, golf is a game made for wagering, with some of its greatest players learning the sport through the well-played hustle or pursuing friendly wagers during practice rounds. Until recently at least, Mickelson’s wagers appeared to be mostly in good fun. He scored big on the Baltimore Ravens’ Super Bowl win in 2001, telling reporters, “I also pick the NCAA tournament...which was Duke, by the way.”