Three-time champion Phil Mickelson has withdrawn from The Masters, citing a personal health matter with his family that kept him out of all but one of the five LIV Golf events this year.
“Unfortunately I will not play in the Masters Tournament next week and will be out for an extended period of time as my family continues to navigate a personal health matter,” Mickelson posted on social media.
Earlier this week, Tiger Woods said he was taking an indefinite leave to seek treatment after his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence following a car crash near his Florida home.
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It will be the first time neither Woods nor Mickelson will be at the Masters since 1994, when Woods was a senior in high school and Mickelson had broken his leg while skiing earlier that year.
At the 1994 Masters, Bernhard Langer was defending champion, Greg Norman was world No.1, Rory McIlroy was only four, and current world No.1 Scottie Scheffler was still two years away from being born. José MarÃa Olazábal would win his first of two green jackets by two shots over Tom Lehman.
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson during the final round of the 2009 Masters. Sports Illustrated via Getty Ima
Mickelson called the Masters “definitely the most special week of the year,” and his record reflects that. He won his first major at Augusta National in 2004 – the most recent time the Masters was won by sinking a birdie putt on the 72nd hole to win by one shot.
He also won in 2006 and in 2010, one of only eight players to win the Masters at least three times.
Woods and Mickelson played together in the final round of the 2009 event. Despite both starting the round seven shots from the lead and seemingly out of contention, a six-under front nine lifted Mickelson into the fight, before a costly double bogey on the par-3 12th effectively ended his day. Mickelson finished in a tie for fifth, three shots behind. Woods was a short further back.
As defending champion from 2005, Woods also presented Mickelsen with his second green jacket in 2006.
Mickelson has not shared details of the personal family matter. He sat out LIV’s four events to start the year and returned in South Africa two weeks ago, tying for 48th in the 57-man field.
Mickelson receives his green jacket from Woods for winning the 2006 tournament. WireImage
“It’s just fun to be back playing,” he said in South Africa.
The only other time Mickelson missed the Masters was in 2022, when he took a leave of absence after inflammatory remarks as the Saudi-funded LIV Golf was preparing to launch.
Mickelson accused the PGA Tour of “obnoxious greed” in a Golf Digest interview. In an interview with author Alan Shipnuck for his book on Mickelson, he dismissed Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reshape the PGA Tour.
The remarks cost him corporate sponsorships. Mickelson joined LIV later that year.
The Masters starts next Thursday night (AEDT) with a 91-man field, with one spot still available if the winner of this week’s Texas Open is not already eligible.
– with Damien McCartney