Phil Mickelson has withdrawn from next week’s Masters, saying on social media that he will sit out because of an ongoing family health matter.
The 55-year-old, a six-time major champion, won the green jacket in 2004, 2006 and 2010 and has made 28 cuts at Augusta National. He finished tied for second in 2023 when Jon Rahm won and missed the cut at last year’s tournament.
Mickelson said he will be ‘out for an extended period of time’ while his family deals with a personal health issue. He added that he has ‘great respect for Augusta National Golf Club’ and called the tournament ‘definitely the most special week of the year,’ saying he wishes the field well and will be watching.
Masters chairman Fred Ridley issued a statement expressing support, noting how much Mickelson loves the event and saying he will be missed in Augusta next week as he takes time to be with his family.
Mickelson has already skipped several LIV Golf events this year, sitting out the season openers in Riyadh and Adelaide as well as the Hong Kong and Singapore stopovers. He returned to competition at LIV Golf South Africa in Steyn City last month, finishing tied for 48th, and there had been uncertainty about whether he would play at Augusta.
In addition to his three Masters titles, Mickelson won the PGA Championship in 2005 and 2021 and The Open at Muirfield in 2013. This year’s tournament would have been his 33rd start at Augusta; only seven other players in history have won the Masters three times.