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Phil Mickelson will not be competing in the 2022 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, part of an extended leave following controversial comments he made in recent months.
But the three-time Masters champion is not skipping the tournament this week because he was told to stay away, Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred Ridley revealed Wednesday.
"We did not disinvite Phil,’’ Ridley said at a news conference. "Phil is a three-time Masters champion and is invited in that category and many other categories. He’s the defending PGA champion."
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Mickelson reached out to Ridley in late February or early March to inform him that he wouldn't be playing in the tournament, the chairman said, marking the first time the golfer will be absent from the field in nearly 30 years.
Phil Mickelson speaks after winning the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course, Sunday, May 23, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
"Phil reached out to me … and let me know that he did not intend to play. That was by way of a text. And I thanked him for his courtesy in letting me know. I told him that we certainly appreciated that and told him that I was certainly willing to discuss that further with him if he’d like. And he thanked me, and we had a very cordial exchange," Ridley added.
Mickelson hasn't played since the Saudi International in early February. He skipped the Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, last month.
Phil Mickelson watches his tee shot on the sixth hole during the first round of the Wells Fargo Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow on Thursday, May 6, 2021, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
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Mickelson has been at the center of controversy after he reportedly criticized the PGA Tour and backed a proposed golf league being financed by Saudi Arabians. Mickelson described the Saudis as "scary" but noted he could look past their history of human rights abuses if it meant a chance to change the PGA Tour.
He made the comments in an interview with author Alan Shipnuck, whose book, "Phil: The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorized!) Biography of Golf’s Most Colorful Superstar," is scheduled for a May release. The Fire Pit Collective published Mickelson's comments in February.
Mickelson later apologized and announced he would be taking a leave from the sport. He claimed his comments were off the record and were not meant to be shared publicly.
Phil Mickelson walks off the 14th green after missing a birdie putt during the third round at the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course, Saturday, May 22, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
"There is the problem of off record comments being share out of context and without my consent," Mickelson said in a February statement. "But the bigger issue is that I used words I sincerely regret that do not reflect my true feelings or intentions."
Mickelson has made 29 starts at the Masters, and it will be his first time not competing in the tournament since 1994. He previously won the Masters in 2004, 2006, and 2010.
"He made a personal decision and I don't know anything beyond that," Ridley added. "I know that Phil has been a real fixture here at the Masters for many, many years. He's been a big part of our history. I certainly and we certainly wish him the best sort of working through the issues he's dealing with right now."
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The tournament begins Thursday.