However, since his words, ones he believed weren’t on the record to unauthorised biographer Alan Shipnuck, got him into some hot water and help fuel the fire that is professional golf’s divide, the 52-year-old has remained fairly quiet.

Even after his final round 65 at The Masters a fortnight ago, Mickelson was circumspect in his post round interview.

The same had been true in Adelaide at LIV Golf’s Australian debut where Mickelson had done no media beyond some comments to local television reporters on Tuesday before the event. That was until Saturday, when the left hander spoke with reporters after a seven-under 65 that took him to a share of eighth.

Even then, the six-time major winner was careful in choosing his words and far from the golfer who would once seemingly relish the chance to speak on any and every topic. Mickelson spending extra time in score return before appearing for his press conference.

“I'm actually just taking a minute. I'm just taking 10, 15 minutes to just kind of regroup, recuperate so that I don't say anything too stupid here, so that I have the energy to go interact and sign autographs for the people that are patient enough to wait. I'm just kind of gathering myself,” Mickelson said of his time on the phone and a scoring laptop.

When he did speak, Mickelson spoke mostly about his gratitude for the boisterous and well served Australian crowds. Throngs of which had followed him all day and cheered him on.

“This is really an example of what is possible and a new opportunity to present golf in a different way and have a different energy and a different feel. I'm not saying it should happen every week, but what LIV Golf has provided is really a great alternative for the traditional ways of golf and the people here in Australia have embraced it,” he said.

“I'm actually just taking a minute. I'm just taking 10, 15 minutes to just kind of regroup, recuperate so that I don't say anything too stupid here, so that I have the energy to go interact and sign autographs ..." - Phil Mickelson.

“You see a whole different energy, a whole different excitement and fun, and I'm happy to be a part of it.

“I think the thing that I enjoy most are some of the little things about being here in Australia. For instance, when I go sign autographs, I signed yesterday, there wasn't any pushing, there wasn't any shoving. People were patient. They waited. They were appreciative. I just really appreciate that. I appreciate how kind everybody has been.”

That kindness has surely been heightened by Mickelson’s most recent Masters performance where he returned to Augusta National after skipping the event in 2022 and reportedly remained uncharacteristically quiet during the Tuesday night Champions Dinner.

Mickelson suggesting that his quite demeanour of late is in strong contrast to his hunger to continue to make noise as a player, both on the LIV Golf stage he helped build and at the major championships where he continues to make history.

“It's been a nice momentum change for me because I really hadn't played the way I had wanted to last year, and then I was playing really well starting this year and didn't have any results here on LIV. I felt like I had a good chance to play and compete at Augusta, but I had no real momentum or no real results prior to that.

“Then the final round things kind of clicked. I hit a lot of good shots the first three days, but it wasn't really quite coming together, and it came together the final day.

“Winning is a process. I'm starting to build back some momentum, and it's at the right time because we have a lot of tournaments coming up, and I feel like I'm just getting better each day, and I'm looking forward to playing the way I know and believe I can play.”

Whether that means talking the way everyone knows Mickelson typically has again is anyone’s guess.