After missing the first two LIV Golf tournaments of the season due to a “family health matter,” Phil Mickelson was expected to make his 2026 debut this weekend at LIV Golf Hong Kong. Well, it turns out the six-time major champion needs more time away from the golf course than he thought.
On Sunday, HyFlyers GC announced in a social media post that Wade Ormsby, who replaced Mickelson at LIV Golf Adelaide, will once again fill in for the golf legend at LIV Golf Hong Kong.
Mickelson’s extended absence is growing more concerning with the Masters just five weeks away.
Phil Mickelson’s Mysterious Absence Isn’t Over yet
GettyConcern over Phil Mickelson’s “family health matter” grows with yet another withdrawal.
Mickelson still isn’t ready to return to competitive golf. When the 55-year-old first announced in a social media post that he plans on missing the start of the 2026 season, he seemed confident that he would miss just the first two tournaments on the schedule.
“I will not be able to participate in the first two LIV Events as [my wife] Amy and I need to be present for a family health matter,” Mickelson said in the post. I can’t wait to compete again and look forward to rejoining my teammates as soon as possible.”
Those two tournaments have come and gone, yet we still don’t know when Mickelson will make his 2026 debut. Ahead of LIV Golf Hong Kong, HyFlyers GC announced that Ormsby will fill in for Mickelson for the second tournament in a row.
“We are excited to have Wade join the team again in Hong Kong as he steps in for Phil,” HyFlyers GC said in the statement. “As a two-time winner of The Hong Kong Open, Wade brings a great deal of familiarity to Hong Kong Golf Club.”
Not only is Mickelson taking a break from professional golf—he’s also slowing down his online content. The outspoken golfer has published only 12 X posts (including replies) since his “family health matter” announcement, and his HyFlyers GC YouTube channel has posted only two full-length videos in the last six months.
Mickelson’s private matter is clearly taking up a lot of his time, and golf fans are hoping everything is alright with his family.
Mickelson Could Struggle to Retain LIV Golf Status
Due to his absence to start the season, Mickelson has fallen behind in the LIV Golf standings. He’s already 12 points behind the safe zone in the league standings, and that deficit will only grow with each tournament he misses. At the end of the season, every player who ranks 47th or worse in the individual standings will lose full-time status.
The bad news for Mickelson is that the LIV Golf schedule is starting to heat up. The Saudi-backed league is scheduled to play three tournaments in three weeks starting with LIV Golf Hong Kong. After playing in China, LIV Golf will immediately head to Singapore on March 12 and South Africa on March 19. Based on Mickelson’s extended absence, it’s fair to wonder whether he’ll be back in time for the Masters on April 9.
Mickelson was the face of LIV Golf when the rival golf league opened up shop, so it’s hard to imagine the league kicking him out even if he finishes in the drop zone. But LIV Golf has faced criticism for catering to bigger names and failing to run a truly meritocratic system. This could become a complicated issue for LIV Golf if Mickelson continues to miss time.
Phil Mickelson’s Mysterious Absence Takes Ominous Turn