Phil Mickelson said on Friday he would not defend his PGA Championship title after withdrawing from the sport in February following comments made about the Saudi-backed golf league.
Mickelson had golf fans speculating about whether he would be at Southern Hills Country Club next week, but speculation ended after the PGA of America confirmed he would not be in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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The 51-year-old American became the third PGA champion not to defend his title after Tiger Woods in 2008 and Ben Hogan in 1949, both ruled out with injury.
PGA of America said, “We have just been informed that Phil Mickelson has withdrawn from the PGA Championship. Phil is the defending champion and is currently eligible to be a PGA Life member and we would welcome him to participate.”
“We wish Phil and Amy all the best and look forward to their return to golf.”
Mickelson’s public image was hit when the author of an unauthorized biography on the six-time Majors champion said the golfer told him he was ready to look at Saudi Arabia’s human rights record to gain an advantage with the PGA Tour.
Saudi Arabia’s government has denied the allegations of human rights abuses, and Mickelson later apologized for comments he claimed were off the record, and then said he planned to take time off from the game. has created.
Mickelson became golf’s oldest major champion at last year’s PGA Championship when, at age 51, less than a month later, he overcame Brooks Koepka and Louis Osthuizen to a two-shot victory at the Ocean Course in Kiawah Island.
Last month Mickelson filed for release from the PGA Tour to play at the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational event to be held June 9-11 near London, and also registered for the PGA Championship and the June 16-19 US Open.
The PGA Tour on Tuesday rejected requests from several players, including Mickelson, to play the LIV opener.
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