Phil Mickelson, Callaway and gambling debts?

XXXX

There's a rumour out there, stemming apparently from the AT&T, that Phil Mickelson's deal with Callaway involved the payment of some rather large debts in Las Vegas.
Of course, I can't imagine any of the tour writers asking Phil whether there is any truth to the rumours, but it would be fascinating to see what happens to his big grin in the interview room if some one had the cahones to ask.
Estimates of the debt have ranged from $5-million to $7-million, but I doubt any one really knows.
Maybe there's no truth to this story at all -- after all, there was a similar one about John Daly when he signed to Callaway, though that tale probably had legs.
I once encountered Daly playing piano in the lounge of the clubhouse for Dancing Rabbit in Mississippi. The course was on a native reserve, right next to a casino. Rumours were that Big John, who had the Dancing Rabbit logo on his bag, brought in high rollers in exchange for some breaks at the tables.
Don't know whether that was true either, but he sure ain't much of a piano player.