Golfer Phil Mickelson is offering some new perspective on the allegations he faces at his now-former golf club in California.
Mickelson was reportedly banned from the club after he was accused of making inappropriate physical contact with a female employee there. The golfer is shedding some new light on his split from the club, however.
Phil Mickelson Gives His Side of Club Banning
As ESPN reported, a lawyer representing Mickelson claimed that he instead “resigned from a country club near San Diego where he was accused of inappropriate contact with a female employee,” disputing a report that it was the club that initiated the split.
“Golf Digest last week reported that Mickelson was no longer a member of The Farms Country Club and that the golfer was asked by club management to leave the course during his round after the employee reported the allegations of misconduct,” the report noted. “Tom Clare, a defamation lawyer hired by Mickelson, said the golfer later resigned from the club.”
A spokesperson for the golf club did say that Mickelson was immediately ejected from the premises after the allegations were first reported.
“Following a staff member report of member misconduct, the club provided immediate and ongoing support to the staff member, conducted a thorough independent investigation of the incident and took decisive action. This individual is no longer a member of The Farms Golf Club,” The Farms said in a statement to Golf Digest, via ESPN. “To protect the safety and privacy of our staff and members, we are unable to speak further on the matter.”
Mickelson has pushed back against the allegations, denying any wrongdoing and deeming it a misunderstanding. Clare has also hinted that he could pursue legal action, though did not say who could be the target of the defamation case.
San Diego Police Investigated Allegations
Mickelson will likely not face any criminal legal action as a result of the allegations. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement to the New York Post that they already investigated the allegations against Mickelson. A spokesperson said that investigators “made attempts to locate any evidence to support the potential allegation of a sexual assault” after the story was first reported by Golf Digest.
“At this time, we have not located any evidence to show an assault has occurred,” the department said.
“The Sheriff’s Office would absolutely investigate further if provided additional evidence or information,” the representative said. “We encourage anyone with information regarding an incident such as this to reach out to the Sheriff’s Office.”
Mickelson has been away from the golf course, not competing in LIV events and skipping the Masters. The 55-year-old released a statement saying he and his wife were focusing on a personal health matter, but he did not offer further details on what that entailed or when he could be back to the course.
Mickelson said in April that he would be “out for an extended period of time,” and also withdrew from the 2026 PGA Championship field in May.
Phil Mickelson Offers New Response to Serious Allegations