Mickelson under fire once more – and this time it's personal. The six-time major champion has hit back at a barrage of fresh misconduct allegations that threaten to derail his already-turbulent career. Representatives for the 56-year-old golfer have condemned an investigation by golf publication Skratch as a 'malicious smear job', accusing the publication of relying on a litany of anonymously-sourced claims.
The Skratch probe, authored by journalist Alan Shipnuck, has sparked outrage among fans and fellow professionals alike. It paints a damning picture of Mickelson's behaviour towards women at three high-profile Californian golf clubs, including an alleged explicit photograph shown to Ashley Perez, the former wife of PGA Tour player Pat Perez.
While Mickelson's camp acknowledges that he made an error in relation to the photograph, they vehemently deny that his actions were as egregious as claimed. In a statement to the New York Post, representatives insisted that the golfer had apologised for any misunderstanding and that those allegations should not be conflated with every other assertion against him.
However, it's the claims surrounding Mickelson's membership at California golf clubs that have really got tongues wagging. His team insists that he has never been asked to leave – or expelled from – a club in his life, and that decisions to terminate memberships were always voluntary on his part. They also took aim at Skratch's reliance on anonymous sources and questioned the publication's motivations, citing its historical ties to the PGA Tour.
Skratch editor-in-chief Ben Boskovich has fired back at Mickelson's camp, stating that the publication stands by its reporting and offered Mickelson, his wife, and lawyer every opportunity to respond before going live with the article. It's a bitter row that threatens to mar the remainder of Mickelson's season – already compromised by his limited appearances on the LIV Golf circuit.