1. Claim: Pro golfer Phil Mickelson lost $200,000 wagering with his golfing partners, then tried to get out of paying up. Example: Collected via e-mail, April 2008 MICKELSON’S GAMBLING DEBTS CAUSE UPROAR AMONG AUGUSTA MEMBERSLast week Phil Mickelson was playing a practice round at Augusta and went away from protocol.
2. Professional golfer Phil Mickelson has been known to be a gambler both on and off the course, but revelations in the trial of sports bettor Billy Walters shed light on how serious his wagering has.

Before there were sponsors or cameras or golf carts or famous quarterbacks or names like The Match: Champions for Charity, there was still Phil Mickelson, legendary gambler.

Tournament host Phil Mickelson was in the headlines ahead of this week’s American Express for saying that if he doesn’t play well early on, he’d re-evaluate his future on the PGA Tour.

Lefty’s name was also thrown around by the White House, which said in a statement that Mickelson – as well as swing instructor Butch Harmon and TV commentators David Feherty and Peter Jacobsen – helped with the commutation of gambler Billy Walters’ sentence. Walters, 74, went to prison in 2017 but was granted clemency in one of the final actions of President Donald Trump.

On Thursday afternoon, ESPN published a story that quotes Mickelson’s attorney, Glenn Cohen, as saying the following: “The press release referencing Phil Mickelson is erroneous. The reason we are upset is because its untrue.”

“Phil had nothing to do with this,” said Cohen.

The famed sports bettor was found guilty of insider trading in a scheme that brought to light ties to Mickelson, who at one time owed $2 million in gambling debts to Walters, according to published reports. Mickelson avoided criminal charges while Walters was sentenced to five years in prison and fined $10 million – but only after a protracted legal fight.

Walters was released from prison in May 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis and was serving the rest of his five-year sentence at home. Trump commuted that sentence, meaning that the remainder, a little less than a year, has been wiped out.

“I am thankful to the President and extremely grateful for the longstanding support of friends and family, especially my wife, Susan,” Walters said in a statement provided to USA TODAY Sports. “I have tried to lead a life marked by concern for others and I hope those qualities, along with the government misconduct that led to my wrongful conviction, convinced the White House to grant me clemency. I also hope this sends a strong message to law enforcement to refrain from illegal misconduct in pursuing their targets. I look forward to vindication as I pursue my civil damages case in federal court.”

USA TODAY Sports’ Josh Peter contributed to this story.

Phil Mickelson Gambling Problem

Phil Mickelson did not exactly build raging momentum ahead of the U.S. Open. He hit the ball wildly all week at Silverado Resort, shot an unsatisfying, final-round 70 and finished well back in the pack (tied for 44th) at the Safeway Open.

At least Mickelson maintained his sense of humor. As he wrapped up his brief news conference after Sunday’s round, Mickelson was asked if he likes the 75-to-1 odds on him for the U.S. Open, which starts Thursday at Winged Foot in New York.

“I wouldn’t know,” he said with a smirk. “I’m not a gambling man.”

Phil Mickelson Gambling Augusta

Mickelson, notoriously fond of wagering, might not want to bet on himself this week. He brings a famously tortured history in America’s national championship, with six runner-up finishes — including an epic, 72nd-hole meltdown at Winged Foot in 2006.

Also consider Mickelson’s persistent struggles off the tee at Silverado. He hit only 3-of-28 fairways on the weekend — one Saturday and two Sunday. In many ways, it’s remarkable he shot 70 both days.

The U.S. Open, as usual, will feature thick and punishing rough. So if Mickelson doesn’t straighten out his tee shots Thursday and Friday, he won’t even reach the weekend at Winged Foot.

Asked about his readiness for this impending major, he replied, “I’m not my sharpest; otherwise, I would be up on the leaderboard and in contention (in Napa). I’ve got some things to work on, but it’s not far off.”

Mickelson was especially troubled by the direction of his misses at Silverado. Many of his tee shots drifted left of their intended target, much to his dismay.

Phil Mickelson Gambling Stories

“The last couple months, I’ve been missing it more to the right,” he said. “For years, I missed it left. I haven’t been fearing that at all lately, but this week I missed it left, which is not good.”

Mickelson, at 50, remains a longshot to complete the career Grand Slam. One fan, undeterred, reportedly placed $45,000 on Mickelson to win, at those 45-to-1 odds — a potential payout of nearly $3.4 million.

Phil Mickelson Gambling Debt

On Friday, Mickelson tweeted about the bet and added, “Hoping for both of us I have a 3-shot lead on 18 tee.”

Mickelson Us Open

Ron Kroichick covers golf for the San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rkroichick@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ronkroichick