Few modern golf writers have accomplished more than Alan Shipnuck, but his recent reporting about Phil Mickelson could end up being his most important work.
Shipnuck, who wrote a biography about Mickelson in 2022, recently penned a bombshell report for Skratch, outlining multiple allegations of unwanted sexual advances against Mickelson. Shipnuck has defended his reporting since the story dropped, and he revealed his motivation for chasing the story so hard.
Phil Mickelson Controversy: Alan Shipnuck Reveals Motivation for Report
“At least a half-dozen people whom I interviewed for this said something to the effect of ‘Someone has to stop this guy, he’s just gonna keep harming people,'” Shipunck told golf reporter Dan Rapoport on the “Dan on Golf” podcast. “That resonated with me. So I felt there was an obligation to tell this story almost as a bit of public service, really.”
Shipnuck’s report came just a couple of weeks after Golf Digest reported Mickelson lost his membership at an exclusive club near his home following allegations of inappropriate contact with a female employee at the course. On top of that, Shipnuck got Ashley Perez, ex-wife of former Tour pro Pat Perez, to go on the record and tell the story of an unwanted sexual advance from Mickelson.
Yet, some still push back against Shipnuck, claiming the story has been blown out of proportion. Shipnuck explained why he doesn’t think that’s the case.
“There’s definitely a strain of readers who say a) he’s a professional athlete, he can chase girls, what’s the big deal?” he continued. “It’s an issue of what’s consensual, what’s not. … it’s a little different. if someone’s just fooling around on the story, is that a story?”
He added: “In Phil’s case, there’s these three very exclusive private clubs where he’s no longer a member, and his personal conduct was a big factor. It tells you there’s a messiness there, a misbehavior that’s pretty extreme.
“It’s just the totality. Each individual incident maybe doesn’t warrant a story. We can debate that. When you have this lineup of misbehavior, there’s an obligation to tell that story.”
Mickelson, Shipnuck Have Plenty of History
Shipnuck and Mickelson have plenty of history. Back in 2022, Shipnuck’s reporting was at least partially to blame for potentially blowing up LIV before it even really got off the ground.
As part of the book promotion, Shipnuck released an excerpt from the book in which he detailed a conversation with Mickelson about the complicated dynamic with the Saudis as part of the LIV launch. Mickelson infamously called the Saudis “scary motherf——” on the phone with Shipnuck.
Mickelson ultimately made things right — or passable, at least — and the league launched with the golf legend as the face of the renegade tour.
Meanwhile, Shipnuck’s book didn’t paint Mickelson in a favorable light. Shipnuck’s legwork for the book undoubtedly helped pave the way for the in-depth reporting for this most recent story, too.
“I’ve written so many flattering stories about Phil, and the book was very balanced,” Shipnuck insisted on the podcast with Rapoport, “but that’s not how he sees it.”
Phil Mickelson Reporter Reveals Motivation: ‘Someone Has to Stop This Guy’