Golf legend Phil Mickelson is denying allegations that he inappropriately touched a female employee at a prestigious Southern California golf club this year.
According to Golf Digest, Mickelson allegedly approached an employee at the Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe and “made inappropriate contact with him.” After the rejection, she reported it to her superiors and accused him of sexual misconduct.
Mickelson hired Tom Clare, a senior defamation attorney, who said the video evidence contradicted the allegations.
“There is a lot of false information being circulated and, while Phil is focused on a private family health issue, he still maintains defamation advice and is willing to take responsibility for any publication or individual trafficking in false speculation or rumours,” Clare said in a statement to Golf Digest.
Clare did not immediately respond to The Times' request for comment.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Office said it investigated but found no evidence of an assault. However, the allegations led to Mickelson's immediate removal from the golf course and the revocation of his long-term membership to the club.
The Farms Golf Club said in a statement to the golf magazine that it conducted a thorough investigation before dealing with Mickelson and stood by its decision to terminate his membership.
“Following the report of misconduct by members, the club provided immediate and ongoing support to staff, conducted a thorough independent investigation into the incident and took serious action,” the statement read. “This person is no longer a member of The Farms Golf Club.
“To protect the safety and privacy of our staff and members, we cannot comment further on this matter.”
Mickelson, who turns 56 next week, retired from professional golf this year due to family health reasons, he stopped playing at LIV Golf South Africa in March. A married father of three, Mickelson won six major tournaments on the PGA Tour – three Masters, two PGA Championships and one British Open – before leaving the tour in 2022 for the inaugural LIV Golf League, which will lose financial support from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund this fall.
His estimated earnings are $1 billion, including $97 billion in PGA Tour prize money, a $200 million signing bonus for joining LIV Golf and an estimated $800 million in endorsements and business deals.
Mickelson was one of the most popular players on the PGA Tour before his controversial move to LIV and comments about his Saudi sponsors, and his career has survived some bad headlines, many of them related to gambling.
The Detroit News obtained federal court records that said a bookie with mob connections handled Mickelson's bets and was accused of defrauding the golfer out of $500,000 in 2007.
Mickelson was indicted by the US Securities and Exchange Commission in 2016 for receiving an insider trading tip and buying $931,000 worth of stock from sports gambler Billy Walters. Mickelson was not charged and agreed to repay the money.
Federal auditors investigating Mickelson's role in the scheme found that his gambling losses totaled more than $40 million from 2010 to 2014, according to Mickelson's unauthorized biography.
