"It was reckless, I offended people, and I am deeply sorry for my choice of words," he said.
At the same time as Mickelson's statement, KPMG became the first of their corporate sponsors to announce the immediate termination of their partnership, a decision by KPMG that was reciprocal.
"We wish him all the best," KPMG said in a statement.
"I am beyond disappointed and will do everything I can to self-reflect and learn from," Mickelson said of her comments to author and golf writer Alan Shipnk.
In explosive remarks, Mickelson called Shipunk the Saudis "to join forces with the scary mother (devoid)" behind a proposed breakaway rival league.
He also told Shipunk, who wrote a biography on Mickelson, to be held in May, that if it had a chance to change the PGA Tour, it was worth going to bed with the Saudis, despite his history of human rights abuses.
"We know they killed (Washington Post columnist Jamal) Khashoggi and he has a terrible record on human rights. They kill people there for being gay," he said. "Knowing all this, why should I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates."
The interview took place last November.
Mickelson said he has always put golf's interests first, "though it doesn't look that way now, judging by my recent comments."
"There is a problem of comments being shared out of context and without record without my consent," he said. "But the bigger issue is that I have used words that I sincerely regret that do not reflect my true feelings or intentions."
Shipnk wrote on The Fire Pit Collective, where he published Mickelson's comments last week, that "not once did he say that our conversation was off-the-record or on the background or just between us or something like that." . He just opened a vein."
Shipnk, who previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, tweeted Tuesday that Mickelson's claims he put off the record were "completely false."
Mickelson apologized to LIV Golf Investments, a group run by Greg Norman and financed primarily by Saudi Arabia's Sovereign Wealth Fund, headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
But he made no mention of the PGA Tour or its commissioner Jay Monahan, whom he referred to as a "dictatorship" in the Shipnack interview. Mickelson also said that he and three top players had paid lawyers to write a rival league's operating agreement.
Mickelson's comments fall under the Travel Policy for public comments that inappropriately attack or insult groups such as the Tour.
Mickelson, who became the oldest champion in history when he won the PGA Championship last year at age 50, said he has felt the pressure and stress affecting him on a deeper level over the past 10 years and is the need of the hour. .
But he did not say whether he would take a break from golf. He hasn't played since the Saudi International on 6 February. He is not playing this week. Her statement concluded, "I know I haven't been my best and I desperately need some time to prioritize the ones I love the most and work on becoming who I want to be."
Mickelson said he would not like to compromise with his corporate partners and has given them the option to either halt or terminate their relationship with him.
At the heart of his statement was his claim that he acted in the best interests of golf, players, sponsors and fans, "though that no longer appears to be the case given my recent comments."
He also said that he needed to be accountable "despite my belief that some changes have already been made to the overall discourse."
The PGA Tour has made changes to reward top players amid a potential Saudi league threat, launching a "Player Impact Program" that rewards stars for popularity and social-media impressions. Mickelson claimed that he won the PIP in his first year.