Phil Mickelson’s chances of returning as an elite golfer may be gone for good, according to former professionals who believe the fallout from his off-course scandals has permanently altered the six-time major champion’s career.
Their blunt assessment comes as Mickelson continues to withdraw from LIV Golf events as well as the Open Championship and faces growing skepticism about whether he can ever play again at golf’s highest level, after a series of serious misconduct allegations.
Nick O’Hern and Mark Allen Lament Mickelson’s Future
Former PGA Tour pro Mark Allen and former world No. 16 Nick O’Hern took up the subject on their podcast “Talk Birdie To Me” Wednesday, sidestepping the specifics of the allegations against Mickelson while weighing what they mean for his career.
“I think it’s going to be very difficult for him to play golf again at a high level,” Allen said. “Even if LIV continues in some form, I’m not sure he’ll be part of it. It’s a sad way for it to end.”
Allen recalled a time when fans compared Mickelson to Arnold Palmer and he built an image as a devoted family man. O’Hern called the situation a “downfall,” pointing back to Mickelson’s peak, when he won the PGA Championship before jumping to LIV, and noting his exits, not all voluntary, from multiple private clubs.
Broadcasting once looked like Mickelson’s natural landing spot, but the hosts agreed that path now looks closed off, too.
“He could have written his own ticket in broadcasting,” O’Hern said. “He would have been an incredible analyst — imagine him alongside Jim Nantz.” Allen agreed, noting Trevor Immelman has excelled in the booth but Mickelson “would have been amazing.”
Allegations and Mickelson’s Response
The podcast conversation followed Alan Shipnuck’s reporting for Skratch, built on interviews with 19 sources, alleging a pattern of misconduct toward women dating to 2015, along with Mickelson’s abrupt exits from three Southern California golf clubs. O’Hern referenced the reporting on the show, noting the legal scrutiny involved. “You’d have to assume there’s strong verification given the legal risks,” O’Hern said, adding that Mickelson has gone largely silent since the story broke.
O’Hern also raised persistent rumors of gambling and financial trouble following Mickelson, though he stressed those issues stand apart from the misconduct claims. Regardless of the source, he said, the pattern points toward a career winding down far from how it once looked destined to end.
That reporting followed an earlier account from Joel Beall and Tod Leonard of Golf Digest, who revealed Mickelson was confronted mid-round and told to leave The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, California, following a female employee’s accusation of unwanted physical contact. Mickelson later resigned his membership after decades at the club, Golf Digest reported.
Mickelson’s attorney, Tom Clare, said some allegations against his client are false, while others “revisit mistakes he has already acknowledged, publicly or privately,” according to Skratch. A spokesperson said Mickelson’s priority now is his family, adding that he is focused on a private health matter involving family members.
Mickelson has skipped every major this year for the first time in his career and is not currently entered in the PGA Tour’s returning-member pathway that brought Brooks Koepka back into the PGA fold. His name technically remains on the entry list for next month’s Open Championship, though O’Hern and Allen made clear on their show that they doubt he’ll be teeing it up at the sport’s top level ever again.
The podcast posted on social media, asking: Has Mickelson “cooked” his golf career? Judging by O’Hern and Allen’s read on the situation, the answer is trending toward yes.
Phil Mickelson May Never Play High-Level Golf Again After Scandals, Pros Say