The Masters will be missing two of the biggest stars of the 21st century.
On Thursday afternoon, Phil Mickelson announced he would not play at Augusta National next week citing a “personal health issue,” joining Tiger Woods as the most prominent golf stars to miss the sport’s first major in 2026. Mickelson’s absence from the event is highly unusual – it will be only the fourth time he has missed his Aug. 3 start event. 20-year-old in 1991. Next week will also mark just the second time Mickelson has lost the Masters since the turn of the century, after only his absence in the 2022 Masters following controversial comments about the Saudi financiers behind his current employers, LIV Golf.
Mickelson did not reveal the full reason for his absence from the event, saying only that he would not compete while working on a personal health issue. The six-time major champion has already missed part of the season in LIV with the same reasoning. He has not commented publicly on the nature of the health issue.
“Unfortunately, I will not be playing in the Masters Tournament next week and will be out for an extended period of time as my family continues to navigate a personal health issue,” Mickelson wrote in a statement posted on. his Instagram account. “I have a lot of respect for Augusta National Golf Club and it’s definitely the most special week of the year. I wish everyone the best of luck and they’ll be watching.”
Mickelson missed the first four events of 2026 at LIV while nursing the same family health issue. He returned for his first start of the season at LIV South Africa, shooting 7 under for the week and finishing T48 in the 54-man field.
Golf’s outstanding left-hander has been a fixture of the Masters since his first start in 1991, when he earned minor amateur honors just three months after earning his first PGA Tour victory (also as an amateur). Later, after many years of struggle (incl four finish in third place), he earned his first major championship victory at Augusta National 2004, a historic breakthrough capped by an iconic birdie at the 18th. That green jacket prevented two more Masters wins in 2006 and 2010, and many more years in which Mickelson returned to the event to attend the Champions Dinner and compete as returning champion.
Mickelson, 55, joins Tiger Woods as star players who will miss this year’s Augusta National. Woods announced Tuesday that he would be “leaving” as he seeks treatment after a DUI crash last week in Florida. The two golfers have never lost the Masters in the same season since the start of Woods’ Masters career in 1996.
