Phil Mickelson is rejecting accusations he was booted from multiple golf clubs for misconduct and once propositioned a rival’s wife by showing her a nude photo of himself.
‘Mr. Mickelson has never been expelled from a golf club,’ Mickelson’s reps told The New York Post. ‘His membership has never been revoked by a golf club.’
The spokespeople went on to tell the Post that the decisions to leave those clubs were ‘his alone.’
Mickelson’s denials came in response to a piece from Skratch reporter Alan Shipnuck that the golfer’s reps described as an ‘anonymously sourced drive-by shooting’ that contained factual distortions.
Ashley Perez, the ex-wife of golfer Pat Perez, told Shipnuck last week that Mickelson showed her a naked photograph of himself while he shared a living space with the couple during a 2015 tournament in New Jersey. Mickelson allegedly told Ashley that he planned to leave his bedroom door ‘open’ at night, adding that he wanted to see her once Pat fell asleep, according to the Skratch article.
The three reportedly hashed out the issue over an awkward 26-minute phone call, during which Mickelson is said to have alternated between contrition and vague denials. But in responding to the Post, Mickelson’s reps rejected the claim he admitted to anything.
Phil Mickelson is rejecting accusations he was booted from multiple golf clubs for misconduct and once propositioned a rival’s wife by showing her a nude photo of himself
Mickelson has been accused of showing a photo of himself naked and erect to Ashley Perez (left) in 2015, then-wife of fellow golfer Pat Perez. He has finally responded to that report
Ashley Perez told Skratch that Mickelson apologized during an awkward 26-minute call
‘Mr. Mickelson’s willingness to apologize for his conduct should not be misconstrued as an admission of every allegation made against him,’ Mickelson’s spokespeople told the Post.
Additionally, Shipnuck cited anonymous sources to claim that Mickelson’s misconduct led him to be kicked out of exclusive California clubs, including the Farms, The Madison and The Bridges. One woman told Skratch she was propositioned by Mickelson in graphic detail.
The piece also suggested Mickelson’s wife, Amy, somehow factored into his dismissal at clubs, adding that the couple had a strained relationship. One portion of the piece claimed Mickelson paid pro-shop employees and club members $500 to drive around courses with his phone in an effort to thwart his wife’s attempts to track his whereabouts.
Mickelson’s reps call that accusation ‘false’ and further accused Shipnuck of journalist malpractice by reporting on Amy, who is ‘not a public figure’ and ‘did not choose this spotlight.’
‘There was no legitimate journalistic reason to drag her into it,’ Mickelson’s spokespeople told The Post.
Additionally, the reps denied that Amy had anything to do with Mickelson’s departures at various clubs.
But Mickelson’s reps weren’t done there. They also accused Skratch of harboring a grudge against their client over his defection to the PGA Tour’s Saudi-backed rival, LIV Golf – a circuit that has since been defunded and now faces an uncertain future.
The PGA Tour does own a minority stake in Skratch.
‘None of those relationships mean Skratch cannot report independently,’ read the statement from Mickelson’s reps. ‘They do, however, create a corporate relationship that reasonable readers may consider relevant when evaluating an extensive investigation into Phil Mickelson, one of the most consequential players ever to leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf.’
The golf icon has been married to wife Amy for close to 30 years. They share three children
Skratch editor-in-chief Ben Boskovich doubled down on Shipnuck’s reporting in response to the statement provided to the Post. Additionally, Boskovich made clear that Shipnuck gave Mickelson and his spokespeople ample time to respond to their questions before publishing their piece.
‘It’s bizarre that [Mickelson lawyer] Tom Clare is now challenging our reporting through The New York Post,’ Boskovich said in a statement.
‘Skratch Golf stands by its reporting.’
Mickelson pulled out of the Open Championship before the Skratch report surfaced and will now miss the event for the first time in 17 years.
Previously, Mickelson denied allegations that he was removed as a member of The Farms Golf Club for inappropriate contact with female staff. Golf Digest reported in June that allegations made against Mickelson led to him being immediately removed from the grounds and stripped of his longtime membership.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed to The Daily Mail that it ‘made attempts to locate any evidence to support the potential allegation of a sexual assault’ involving Mickelson and the female employee.
Ashley Perez (right), the ex-wife of golfer Pat Perez (left), shockingly claimed to golf outlet Skratch last month that Mickelson showed a naked photograph of himself to her
However, an SDCSO spokesperson revealed they did not receive any official reports of a sexual assault incident at the club and ‘have not located any evidence to show an assault has occurred.’
‘The Sheriff’s Office would absolutely investigate further if provided additional evidence or information,’ the spokesperson added. ‘We encourage anyone with information regarding an incident such as this to reach out to the Sheriff’s Office.’
Golf Digest’s report claimed Mickelson approached the female employee and ‘made nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact’ before she rejected his advances.
He was then located on the course mid-round and confronted about the alleged incident and told to vacate the premises, the report adds.
A spokesperson for Mickelson, who in February announced he was stepping away from golf indefinitely due to a personal family health matter, called the incident ‘a misunderstanding’.
The spokesperson said: ‘Any misunderstanding has been cleared up. Phil continues to attend to a family health matter and is uncertain when he will be able to return to professional golf.’
