The six-time major champion has resigned from a country club near San Diego over allegations of inappropriate contact with a female employee, his lawyer says.
Golf Digest reported last week that Mickelson is no longer a member of Farms Country Club and was asked by club management to leave the course during a round after an employee reported the misconduct allegations. Tom Clare, a defamation lawyer hired by Mr Mickelson, said the golfer later quit the club.
The Golf Digest article comes at a low point for Mickelson. He withdrew from this year’s Masters and PGA Championship and missed all but one of the nine 2026 LIV Golf tournaments, citing personal health issues in his family. The one major golf tournament he missed, the U.S. Open, where he has finished runner-up six times, will be held this weekend, but he is no longer eligible to play because he has exhausted his exemption requirements.
Golf Digest, citing sources, reported that Mickelson approached the woman in the clubhouse and engaged in inappropriate, non-consensual physical contact. The woman refused his advances and reported it to her superiors.
Club management investigated and confronted Mickelson on the course. Mickelson, 55, was asked to leave the premises.
In a statement to Golf Digest, The Farms said, “Following a staff member’s report of a member’s misconduct, the club provided immediate and continued support to the staff member, conducted a thorough independent investigation into the incident, and took decisive action. This individual is no longer a member of The Farms Golf Club.”
“To protect the safety and privacy of our staff and members, we are unable to discuss this matter further.”
In response to Golf Digest’s report, a spokesperson for the player said in a statement: “The misunderstanding has been resolved. Phil continues to be vigilant about his family’s health issues, and it is unclear when he will be able to return to professional golf.”
Mickelson won the 2021 PGA Championship, becoming the oldest major champion in golf history. A year later, he became a key figure in helping launch LIV Golf with Saudi funding. He lost a major sponsor in early 2022 after calling Saudi Arabia a “horrible mother” and reportedly only thinking about joining the league to gain influence over the PGA Tour.
The Farms, located about 10 miles from Torrey Pines, is a private club with several top athletes as members, including Annika Sorenstam and Xander Schauffele.
