Phil Mickelson’s membership at The Farms has been revoked after an independent investigation into alleged misconduct, ending his ties to the Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., club. The club said on Thursday that the individual involved is no longer a member.
The action gives the allegation a formal consequence at a time when Mickelson has already been away from competition. He has played just once since August, missed four of the first five LIV Golf events this season and said in April he would step away for an extended period because his family was navigating a personal health matter.
The Farms said it provided immediate and ongoing support to a staff member after a report of member misconduct and that it reached its decision only after a thorough independent investigation. Golf Digest, citing anonymous sources, said the incident involved unwanted contact with a female employee of the club. In practical terms, that means conduct described as unwanted physical contact or contact that was not invited, though the club did not spell out the allegation in public.
That version of events does not line up neatly with what investigators have said they found. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said it has not received any reports of sexual assault at The Farms and has not located any evidence showing an assault occurred. Mickelson’s spokesperson said any misunderstanding had been cleared up and that he continues to attend to a family health matter, adding that it is uncertain when he will be able to return to professional golf.
For Mickelson, the timing deepens a difficult stretch. He did not qualify for next week’s U.S. Open, and his five-year exemption from winning the 2021 PGA Championship has expired. He won that title at age 50, becoming the oldest major winner in golf history, and he owns six major championships overall. The club penalty now sits beside a longer record of scrutiny, including his role as a relief defendant in a 2016 SEC insider trading scandal involving Billy Walters and a Dean Foods corporate director. What happens next depends less on the membership decision itself than on whether Mickelson returns at all, and when a player once defined by presence in the biggest events can next show up in one.
