Golf star Phil Mickelson is in the process of preparing for the Saudi International PGA tournament, which is set to begin this week. Mickelson was asked about the possibility of a rival golf league emerging, a prospect that has recently picked up steam. The six-time major champion offered a brutally honest take on what a potential rival golf league would mean for the PGA, via ESPN.

“I think everybody is looking at it and seeing parts of it that can really help and benefit their situation, their life, their career, and then there's parts of it that they're probably concerned with,” Mickelson said. “I'm appreciative of the fact that there is competition, and that leverage has allowed for a much better environment on the PGA Tour.”

Because of the threat of a potential rival league, Mickelson said, the PGA Tour increased the FedEx Cup bonus pool to $75 million, introduced a $50 million Player Impact Program and raised the purse of the Players Championship to $20 million.

PGA star Phil Mickelson got real on the prospect of a rival golf league, noting that the competition has been good for the players, who have received increased bonus money, as well as a lucrative Player Impact Program, as a result of the potential emergence of the rival league, called the Super Golf League.

Mickelson declined to comment on if he has been approached by the rival golf league, though he did indicate that he believes nearly every PGA player ranked in the top-100 has been contacted. The league is led by former Australian golfer Greg Norman.

It's not yet clear if the rival golf league will have any real staying power, though Phil Mickelson's comments indicate that the new league has surprisingly been a benefit to the PGA.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.