Golf legend Phil Mickelson is pushing back against allegations he inappropriately touched a female employee at an exclusive Southern California golf club earlier this year — with his attorney saying video evidence refutes the allegations.
The six-time major champion allegedly approached a worker at Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe and made “nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact” with her.
After rejecting him, the employee reported the alleged misconduct to supervisors.
Mickelson, 55, has retained prominent defamation attorney Tom Clare, who says video evidence contradicts the claims.
“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,” Clare said in a statement to Golf Digest.
The allegation reportedly led to Mickelson being immediately removed from the club’s grounds and stripped of his longtime membership.
Farms Golf Club told Golf Digest it conducted a thorough investigation before confronting Mickelson and stands by its decision to revoke his membership.
The married father of three stepped away from professional golf earlier this year for family health reasons. His last appearance came at LIV Golf South Africa in March.
Mickelson left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in 2022.