LIV Golf will be missing another of its blockbuster names to begin its 2026 season after Phil Mickelson revealed that he would be taking time away from the circuit.
The Saudi-backed tour is set to kickstart its fifth season in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in just three days’ time with the opening event taking place in the Gulf Kingdom from February 4-6.
However, the HyFlyers team will be without their captain for the first event after Mickelson, 55, announced that he will be skipping the opener.
The six-time Masters winner revealed on Sunday that he will be missing the first two events of the season due to a ‘family health matter.’
‘I will not be able to participate in the first two LIV events as Amy (Mickelson’s wife) and I need to be present for a family health matter,’ a statement from the Leftie read.
‘I can’t wait to compete again and look forward to rejoining my team-mates as soon as possible. In the meantime, Ollie Schniederjans will step in for me in Riyadh as I root on HyFlyers GC from afar.’
Phil Mickelson announced that he will be skipping the first two LIV Golf events of 2026
The 55-year-old said he and his wife Amy (left) ‘need to be present for a family health matter’
The LIV circuit will travel to Adelaide, Australia following the season opener in Riyadh to compete at The Grange Golf Club on February 12.
Mickelson’s absence is just the latest blow for the breakaway after it lost Patrick Reed and Brooks Koepka when they announced that they will be returning to the PGA Tour.
Koepka became the first big name to jump ship when he announced before Christmas that he would not be returning to LIV this season. That announcement was shortly followed by the PGA Tour confirming the five-time major winner’s return earlier this month.
He had been expected to serve a suspension in order to end his four-year exile from the PGA Tour but the American organization seemingly offered an easier path back.
The PGA Tour still went to lengths to stress that Koepka would still face ‘severe and justified consequences’ to facilitate his return, which officially took place at the Farmers Insurance Open this week.
But their new ‘Returning Members Program’ is effectively a convenient loophole that will cause great concern to LIV.
Meanwhile, 2018 Masters champion Reed hinted at the weekend that a change was in the pipeline when he revealed he was out of contract with the Saudi-backed circuit and offered no guarantee of re-signing in time for the start of their 2026 season.
That has now materialized with Reed confirming his departure on Wednesday, just weeks after Brooks Koepka quit LIV in favour of a return to the PGA Tour.
Reed will not be eligible for an immediate comeback on the PGA Tour, because he does not meet the ‘Returning Member’ criteria that was contrived to smooth the way for Koepka. But the American circuit have said he will be permitted to play as a non-member in their events from August of this year ahead of a full return in 2027
