After hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent weeks, Phil Mickelson has had his say via a statement released by representatives.
Phil Mickelson has responded to recent allegations set against him in two high-profile reports about his private life.
Last month, Golf Digest’s Joel Beall reported that the 56-year-old has had his long-time membership of The Farms – a prestigious golf club near his San Diego home – revoked after accusations from a female employee about “inappropriate” behavior. Alan Shipnuck later reported a number of eye-opening transgressions from Mickelson’s personal affairs for Skratch Golf.
Among the claims was an account of an incident that involved Ashley Perez – who was, at the time, married to Mickelson’s fellow PGA Tour and LIV golfer Pat Perez. She said Mickelson, during dinner one evening, waited until the two of them were alone before showing her an explicit photo of himself and inviting her to join him in his hotel room later that night.
The report also included information on Mickelson’s departure from The Farms, as well as a number of other high-profile clubs due to ongoing misconduct.
In a statement acquired by the New York Post, representatives for the six-time major champion said Shipnuck prioritized “a compelling, click-bait narrative over an accurate one” in an “anonymously sourced drive-by shooting”.
It added: “Credibility is not earned by publishing the most provocative narrative. It is earned through transparency, verification, and a clear distinction between fact, inference, and speculation.”
Shipnuck’s report did note that Mickelson had apologized to both Pat and Ashley Perez – which were received but not accepted – but the statement argued that “should not be misconstrued as an admission of every allegation made against him”. Mickelson also claims the photo was not, as described, “a full-body picture of himself naked with an erection while flexing one bicep”, but simply a “topless” shot.
Another key account in Shipnuck’s report was about how Mickelson would reportedly give his phone to golf club employees and “pay them $500 to drive around the course for three or four hours”. This, apparently, was so when Mickelson’s wife, Amy, was tracking him on his phone, it looked like he was playing rather than in unspecified rendezvous.
Mickelson’s statement, though, called the claims “false” and “sinister” before adding that Amy is “not a public figure” and someone who “did not choose this spotlight”.
“There was no legitimate journalistic reason to drag her into it,” it concluded.
Mickelson’s representatives also told the publication that the left-hander has “never been expelled from a golf club” nor has his membership “been revoked by a golf club”.
Mickelson has withdrawn from the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale later this month – meaning this will be the first year since 1990 that he hasn’t played in at least one of the four majors. It is only the second time in his professional career that Mickelson – who lifted the Claret Jug in 2013 – has missed The Open.