Phil Mickelson, winner of six major championships and one of the most well-known golfers of his generation, had his membership revoked from his longtime club after an independent investigation into alleged misconduct.
The Farms, a club in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., outside of San Diego, confirmed to The Athletic that it pulled Mickelson’s membership. Golf Digest first reported the news Thursday.
Golf Digest cited anonymous sources in saying the incident involved unwanted contact with a female employee of the club. A spokesperson for Mickelson did not comment directly on that allegation but told the publication: “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 released a statement Thursday that it later told The Athletic was in reference to Mickelson.
“The Farms Golf Club is committed to maintaining a golf club environment that is safe, respectful and reflects the highest standards of conduct. All members are required to adhere to our Code of Conduct, and any allegations of misconduct are taken seriously,” the statement read. “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 Farms, citing safety and privacy “of our staff and members,” declined to comment further.
In a statement provided to The Athletic, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said it has not received any reports of sexual assault at The Farms.
“The Sheriff’s Office has made attempts to locate any evidence to support the potential allegation of a sexual assault,” the statement read. “At this time, we have not located any evidence to show an assault has occurred. The Sheriff’s Office would absolutely investigate further if provided additional evidence or information.”
Mickelson announced in April he would miss the Masters and step away for an extended period “as my family continues to navigate a personal health matter.” Mickelson has played just once since August, missing four of the first five LIV Golf events this season. He did not qualify for next week’s U.S. Open, and his five-year exemption from winning the 2021 PGA Championship has expired.
When Mickelson missed the first two LIV events of the season, he said on social media: “I will not be able to participate in the first two LIV events as (wife) Amy and I need to be present for a family health matter. I can’t wait to compete again and look forward to rejoining my teammates as soon as possible.”
For decades, Mickelson was a beloved, fast-talking fan favorite who often got himself into trouble on the course but usually found his way out of it. His win at the 2021 PGA at 50 — making him the oldest major winner in golf history — seemed to be a perfect capstone to his career. Instead, Mickelson has become more divisive in recent years, better known for his large role in golf’s civil war and the creation of the LIV Golf league.
In 2016, Mickelson was named as a relief defendant in an SEC insider trading scandal involving professional gambler Billy Walters, a longtime associate of Mickelson’s. The SEC accused Dean Foods corporate director Thomas Davis of leaking information to Walters, who then urged Mickelson — who owed Walters gambling debts — to buy Dean Foods stock in 2012. Mickelson made $931,000 from these trades and used it to partially pay back Walters. Because the investigation lacked evidence that Mickelson knew the tip was illegally obtained, Mickelson evaded charges. But he paid a $100,000 fine and returned his profits to the SEC.
In 2022, as Mickelson was involved with the Saudi Public Investment Fund launching LIV as a rebel golf league, the golfer was quoted by reporter Alan Shipnuck as saying: “We know they killed (Washington Post columnist Jamal) Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates.”
Public backlash followed, and Mickelson lost longtime sponsors KPMG and Amstel Light. He then announced he was stepping away from golf to spend time with family. He missed the Masters and PGA Championship (in which he was the defending champ) in 2022 and never played another PGA Tour event before joining LIV in June 2022, and was suspended by the PGA Tour for playing in a conflicting event without permission.
