Phil Mickelson has reportedly been expelled from a private golf club in San Diego County after allegations he made unwanted physical contact with a female employee.
According to Golf Digest, Mickelson is no longer welcome at The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, California, where the six-time major champion has played and practised for decades. The alleged incident is said to have taken place earlier this spring.
Golf Digest reported that it confirmed the identity of the employee but did not name her to protect her privacy. The woman reportedly declined to take part in the magazine’s story.
The publication, citing sources, said Mickelson approached the woman in the clubhouse and made non-consensual and inappropriate physical contact with her. She rejected his advances and reported the matter to her supervisors.
Golf Digest said club officials reviewed and investigated the complaint before confronting Mickelson on the course. The 55-year-old was then told to leave the premises.
In a statement provided to Golf Digest, a spokesperson for Mickelson said, “Any misunderstanding has been cleared up. Phil continues to attend to a family health matter and is uncertain when he will be able to return to professional golf.”
The Farms also issued a statement to Golf Digest, saying, “Following a staff member report of member misconduct, the club provided immediate and ongoing support to the staff member, conducted a thorough independent investigation of the incident and took decisive action. This individual is no longer a member of The Farms Golf Club.”
The club added, “To protect the safety and privacy of our staff and member, we are unable to speak further on the matter.”
Golf Digest said multiple sources confirmed that the member in question was Mickelson.
The Farms, about 10 miles from Torrey Pines, is a private club with several high-profile members, including Annika Sorenstam and Xander Schauffele, though both have primary residences in Florida.
The report marks another damaging development for Mickelson, once among golf’s most popular figures thanks to his daring style of play and his long-standing habit of signing autographs after rounds. He is married and has three children.
Mickelson, a key figure in the launch of LIV Golf, has played only once this year because of what has been described as a serious family health issue that has not been publicly detailed. He missed both the Masters and the PGA Championship and is no longer exempt for the U.S. Open.
His public image has taken several hits over the past decade. In 2016, he was named as a relief defendant in an insider trading case. He was not criminally charged but agreed to repay nearly $1 million USD in profits from a single trade. Professional gambler Billy Walters was involved in the case and was later sentenced to five years in prison.
In a 2023 autobiography, Walters claimed Mickelson had wagered more than $1 billion USD over the past 30 years. The book also alleged that on a single day in 2011, Mickelson placed 43 Major League Baseball bets and lost $143,500.
Mickelson became the oldest major champion in golf history when he won the 2021 PGA Championship. But the following year he drew fierce criticism during the formation of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league, when he was quoted describing the Saudis as “scary mother (expletives)” and saying he saw joining the breakaway circuit as a way to gain leverage over the PGA Tour.
The Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia is due to end its financial backing of LIV after this year.
