Life is hard. Then You make $300 million playing a no-impact sport and die.

It’s hard being golfer Phil Mickelson, second on the sport’s all-time earnings list. First, he has fallen to 22 in the World Golf Rankings. Next, he had to shake off a fierce hangover to play 48 holes the other day.  Now Barry Obamz and Gov Commie Brown are taking all his monies.  Speaking out on his troubled finances the other day, Phil just might take his little white ball and man boobs and go home…

“I’m not going to jump the gun and do it right away, but I will be making some drastic changes. I happen to be in that zone that has been targeted both federally and by the state and it doesn’t work for me right now.”

California voters in November approved Proposition 30, which raised state income tax to 13.3 percent on earnings of $1 million or more, a 29.13 percent increase over the previous “millionaires” tax of 10.3 percent. Mickelson will also be affected by the rise in the top bracket of the federal tax code where rates have gone up from 35 percent to 39.6.

Hinting that he might even leave his home state of California, Mickelson said on Sunday: “If you add up all the federal and you look at the disability and the unemployment and the Social Security and the state, my tax rate’s 62, 63 percent, so I’ve got to make some decisions on what I’m going to do.”

So Phil’s pissed about it all - even payroll/SS taxes – regressive 6% taxes that only apply to the first $110,ooo+ of income.  So less than 1% of Phil’s income, but probably 100% of yours.

2 things –  Is he just pulling numbers out of his ass and who the hell are his investment advisors?

Phil made $63 Million in 2011, the majority from sponsorships. Still, even though sponsorships and winnings qualify as ordinary income (I believe), where are his deferred accounts?  charitable contributions and other deductions? Capital Gains Income? Other tax avoidance mechanisms way too sophisticated for me to understand?  I bet the Barclays’ and KPMG Execs who chose to sponsor Phil don’t pay anything close to 60%.

I’m not a “soak the rich” type of guy. Phil has demonstrated greatness, albeit in a glorified leisure activity.  Greatness should be rewarded.  However, PGA earnings’ have increased exponentially over the last couple of decades – that’s not true for 97% of other occupations. Phil has made the 2nd most money, but is not close to being the 2nd best golfer of all time. He has benefitted from the same financial climate that the government tepidly attempted to calibrate by raising his income taxes a few percentage points.  (California’s budget is so jacked up – see supermajority requirement, poorly managed pensions, prison industrial complex, etc., that they had no choice but to raise taxes a a few.)

Phil’s “sour grapes” attitude is so tone-deaf it can only appeal to the type of people who watch the Golf Channel every weekend. well then.