Phil Mickelson Removed From Private Golf Club After Inappropriate Contact
Phil Mickelson has been expelled from The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, California after a female staff member accused the six-time major winner of making nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact with her earlier this year.
According to a Golf Digest report, Mickelson approached an unidentified female employee at the club when the alleged incident occurred. After she rejected him she reported the incident to club management. Officials confronted Mickelson while he was on the course and told him to leave immediately. The club then conducted an independent investigation and terminated his membership.
"Following a staff member report of member misconduct, the Club provided immediate and ongoing support to the staff member, conducted a thorough independent investigation of the incident and took decisive action," The Farms Golf Club said in a statement. "This individual is no longer a member of The Farms Golf Club."
The club added that it conducts thorough reviews of all reported matters consistent with California law and declined to speak further to protect the privacy of staff and members.
Mickelson's Response
Golf Digest contacted Mickelson's representative on June 7 for comment. An attorney responded several days later with a denial and a threat of legal action.
"There is a great deal of misinformation circulating and, while Phil's full attention is devoted to a private family health matter, he has retained defamation counsel and is determined to hold accountable any publication or individual trafficking in speculation or false rumors," said attorney Tom Clare.
Clare also claimed the allegation is "squarely contradicted by objective, video evidence." He did not elaborate on what that video shows or provide it publicly.
Mickelson is 55 years old. He has not been charged with any crime in connection with this incident.
Where His Career Stands
The timing of this report comes as Mickelson is already away from competitive golf. He announced earlier this year that he was stepping back from the sport to attend to a private family health matter — a situation that has kept him off the course for months and which his attorney referenced again in the statement responding to the allegations.
Mickelson will not be competing at next week's US Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. His five-year exemption earned by winning the 2021 PGA Championship has expired and he would have needed a special invitation from the United States Golf Association to compete — an invitation that was not extended.
His Legacy and This Moment
Phil Mickelson is one of the most decorated golfers in history. Six major championships including three Masters titles, a US Open, and two PGA Championships. Beloved by fans for decades for his aggressive playing style and genuine fan engagement. He is also a figure who has spent recent years navigating significant controversy — most notably his involvement with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league and inflammatory comments he made about the PGA Tour in 2022 that temporarily damaged his standing in the sport.
Whether this situation reaches beyond the club expulsion into legal territory depends entirely on whether the video evidence Mickelson's attorney is referencing actually contradicts the employee's account as definitively as claimed. The club conducted its own independent investigation and reached a conclusion — membership terminated, decisive action taken. That's a significant institutional response.
What California Law Says About Workplace Misconduct
California has some of the strongest workplace harassment and assault protections in the country. Nonconsensual physical contact of a sexual nature — even a single incident — can constitute sexual battery under California Civil Code Section 1708.5, which doesn't require repeated behavior or a formal employment relationship to apply. It covers any unwanted touching of an intimate part of another person's body for the purpose of sexual gratification, arousal, or abuse.
A private club membership termination is a civil matter handled internally. A criminal complaint — if the employee chose to file one — would be a separate process entirely. There's no indication in current reporting that criminal charges have been filed or are being sought.
The employee hasn't been identified and hasn't publicly spoken. Mickelson's attorney is threatening defamation action against anyone who reports on the matter. The club says the investigation is complete and the outcome is final.
A family health matter is keeping him off the course. A golf club investigation has taken his membership. And a video he says will clear him hasn't been made public.
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