Phil Mickelson booted from golf club after alleged ‘inappropriate physical contact’ with female employee
Phil Mickelson has reportedly been barred from a golf club near his San Diego home after he was accused of having an inappropriate interaction earlier this year with one of the establishment’s female employees.
Mickelson approached a woman at The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe just prior to one of his rounds and “made nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact with her,” according to Golf Digest.
The woman rejected his advances and reported the matter to her supervisors a short time later, the outlet stated.
“Club officials took the allegation seriously and moved quickly,” according to Golf Digest.
Mickelson was confronted about the issue while he was in the middle of his round, and “told to vacate the premises,” Golf Digest reported Thursday.
Mickelson declined to comment on the allegations, according to Golf Digest, but a spokesperson for the three-time Masters champion told the outlet, “Any misunderstanding has been cleared up.”
Mickelson has been married to his wife Amy for 30 years.
The Farms Golf Club, meanwhile, said in a statement that all of its “members are required to adhere to our Code of Conduct, and any allegations of misconduct are taken seriously.”
“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,” a rep for The Farms told Golf Digest. “This individual is no longer a member of The Farms Golf Club.
“The Farms conducts thorough reviews of all reported matters according to California Law and takes appropriate action when warranted, consistent with our commitment to integrity, excellence and accountability. To protect the safety and privacy of our staff and members, we are unable to speak further on this matter. We appreciate your understanding.”
Mickelson has been away from the professional golf since he announced in February that he needed to tend to a family matter.
His spokesperson said he’s continuing to attend to that matter “and is uncertain when he will be able to return to professional golf.”
Mickelson has had a long-standing relationship with The Farms. According to Golf Digest, he played there regularly over the years, and it also “served as his primary training ground before major championships.”
He actually had a display inside the business’ clubhouse, though Golf Digest reported Thursday it’s since been removed in wake of his ban.
Tom Clare, a defamation attorney representing Mickelson, added in a statement to the outlet that there was “a great deal of misinformation circulating” around Mickelson’s alleged incident with the employee.
“While Phil’s full attention is devoted to a private family health matter,” Clare said, “he has retained defamation counsel and is determined to hold accountable any publication or individual trafficking in speculation or false rumors.”
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