Phil Mickelson has been accused of “inappropriate contact” with a female golf club employee, according to one report from Golf Digest.
The publication reported Thursday that Mickelson’s membership from The Farms Golf Club in San Diego was revoked after a female employee accused him of “nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact” with her earlier this year. According to the report, which cites multiple sources with knowledge of the matter, Mickelson approached and contacted the employee before leaving for a round of golf. The report says the employee rejected Mickelson’s advances and reported the incident to management.
According to Golf DigestAccording to sources, the club immediately looked into the incident and confronted Mickelson mid-round with the allegations. Mickelson was then asked to leave the property, which he did before the end of his round.
Mickelson, who is currently on hiatus from the golf pro on a personal matter, declined to comment directly Golf Digestbut a spokesman for Mickelson offered a brief statement about the alleged incident:
“Any misunderstandings have been cleared up. Phil continues to deal with a family health issue and it is uncertain when he will be able to return to professional golf.”
Mickelson’s manager did not immediately respond to a message from GOLF.com seeking further comments.
In a statement to Golf DigestThe Farms confirmed that a member had been removed after an incident involving an employee, but did not say whether the member was Mickelson. The statement said:
“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. Following a staff member’s report of member misconduct, the Club provided immediate and ongoing support to the staff member, did not take further an independent investigation by members of the Farms Golf Club.”
Mickelson missed the start of the LIV Golf season to attend to a personal matter. He returned for the LIV event in South Africa in March, before announcing he would be out for an extended period of time while sailing for a “family health issue”.
Mickelson, who is 55, sat out both the Masters and the PGA Championship this year. It was alone the second time Mickelson didn’t make it at Augusta National since 1995. Mickelson also missed the 2022 Masters after making controversial comments about LIV Golf’s Saudi financiers.
