Phil Mickelson to Miss Masters for First Time Since 1994

Phil Mickelson will not play the Masters next month. 

This will be the first time since 1994 that Mickelson will miss the Masters. It was to be his 30th appearance. 

As of Monday, Mickelson’s name was not on the list of players scheduled to compete in the tournament. It, in fact, was moved to the section of the tournament website that reads “past champions who are not competing.’’ 

According to Masters officials, eligible players’ names are removed from that list on the tournament website only upon request. 

Oddly, Tiger Woods, who hasn’t played since his car crash in February of 2021, remained listed as a participant in the tournament as of Monday. Players have until tournament week to decide whether they are playing or not. 

In the wake of his absence, there will be questions that’ll likely remain unanswered such as whether this was Mickelson — who won the 2004, 2006 and 2010 Masters and has called it his favorite tournament in the world — sitting this one out by choice or whether there are some outside forces keeping him from playing. 

There’s been speculation that Mickelson recently was suspended by the PGA Tour for a series of strong comments he made, including calling out the Tour for “obnoxious greed’’ in a Golf Digest interview with John Huggan. 

He, too, was later quoted by writer Alan Shipnuck as saying he had a part in organizing ideas for the Greg Norman-led Saudi golf league that was recently announced and is sternly opposed by the PGA Tour, which views it as a threat. 

The PGA Tour does not disclose suspensions and the belief is that Mickelson, who has not played since January, is not suspended. After his comments to Shipnuck (which Mickelson said were part of a private conversation) were published, Mickelson issued an apology for his strong words and said he was taking some time away from golf. 

“Although it doesn’t look this way now given my recent comments, my actions throughout this process have always been with the best interest of golf, my peers, sponsors and fans,’’ Mickelson said in his Feb. 22 statement. “There is a problem of off record comments being shared out of context and without my consent, but the bigger issue is that I used words I sincerely regret that do not reflect my true feelings or intentions. 

“It was reckless, I offended people and I am deeply sorry for my choice of words. I am beyond disappointed and will make every effort to self-reflect and learn from this. The past 10 years I have felt the pressure and stress slowly affecting me at a deeper level. I know I have not been my best and desperately need some time away to prioritize the ones I love most and work on being the man I want to be.” 

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, two weeks ago at The Players Championship, spoke in circles about the Mickelson situation, declining to say whether or not he was suspended and saying the “ball’’ is in Mickelson’s “court,’’ making it sound like Mickelson needs to reach out to the Tour before playing again. It was all very — and intentionally — confusing. 

Mickelson last played in February at the Saudi International, where he tied for 18th. He subsequently didn’t play the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship, two events he often has on his annual schedule. 

Another conspiracy-theory school of thought is whether Augusta National officials preferred Mickelson not make the Masters his first event back from his hiatus to avoid distraction. 

It’s most likely Mickelson simply believed playing in this Masters was too soon after his comments caused such a stir. 

The thing is, Mickelson, who’s 51 and won the 2021 PGA Championship to become the oldest major champion ever, surely knows he has only so many more chances at his age to capture a fourth green jacket. 

Mickelson has kept a very low profile since his apology statement and wasn’t available for comment. 

The 2022 Masters begins April 7. Hideki Matsuyama is the defending champion.