Phil Mickelson will not participate in the PGA Championship.
The defending champion has withdrawn his name from the field electing to extend his disassociation from the sport.
Mickelson has avoided the limelight since his comments regarding Saudi funded LIV Golf league caused an uproar in the golfing community.
He authored one of the most stunning victories last year when he won the PGA at Kiawah Island.
He won the 2021 PGA Championship at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island by two strokes over Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen at age 50, becoming the oldest champion in 161 years of the majors.
It was his first major win since the 2013 Open Championship.
The 51-year-old American becomes just the third PGA champion not to defend his title after Tiger Woods in 2008 and Ben Hogan in 1949, both of whom failed to do so due to injury.
Phil Mickelson is a two-time winner of the PGA Championship, having initially won the major in 2005 at Baltusrol Golf Club.
The 2022 PGA Championship starts May 19th at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
His absence should not come as a surprise to anyone.
He is the most significant voice in golf to openly express his desire to break away from the PGA in favor of the LIV Golf league.
Mickelson’s agent, Steve Loy, released a statement in late April that stated Mickelson had requested a release from the PGA TOUR to play in the first LIV Golf Invitational series event.
The TOUR has denied its members’ requests to play in the first LIV series event, scheduled for June 9-11 which is the same week as the RBC Canadian Open on the TOUR’s schedule.
