Two weeks after a report indicated Phil Mickelson was removed from a private golf club in the San Diego area over unwanted advances, a separate report this week added more allegations of inappropriate behavior.
According to a report by Skratch, cited by Yahoo Sports, Mickelson is accused of making unwanted advances toward Ashley Perez, the wife of golfer Pat Perez, during the 2015 Barclays tournament in Edison, New Jersey. The report describes an evening when the three were drinking red wine at Mickelson's villa. When Pat Perez excused himself to use the restroom, Mickelson allegedly made sexual advances toward Ashley Perez, who declined them and later told her husband after the tournament ended. Ashley Perez filed for divorce in 2023.
Pat Perez has called the incident unforgivable. The report indicates Mickelson has delivered multiple apologies.
The Skratch report also references Mickelson's departure from two additional golf clubs in the Rancho Santa Fe area of California, Madison Club and The Bridges, citing his personal conduct as the reason in both cases. An earlier report in Golf Digest had already noted he was no longer a member at The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe following an interaction with a female employee deemed inappropriate.
A spokeswoman for Mickelson, responding through his attorney Tom Clare, provided a statement in response to the Skratch report.
"Some of the allegations circulating about Mr. Mickelson are false, and others revisit mistakes he has already acknowledged, publicly or privately," the spokeswoman said, in part. "Stacking the disputed claims next to the ones he has owned does not make them credible. It instead contributes to a false and misleading narrative."
Clare also issued a statement that was reported by Golfweek: "A small segment of the golf media has decided that because Mr. Mickelson is a successful golfer, every detail of his private and family life is theirs to exploit. Recycling mistakes he has already acknowledged as new reporting, and dragging private family matters into public view, is reckless. It is the pursuit of clicks at the expense of the truth. Do better."
Mickelson, a six-time major champion who turned 56 this month, stepped away from competition in February for what his representatives described as a family health matter. He returned to play at LIV Golf's South Africa tournament in mid-March, finishing tied for 48th. He skipped April's Masters, where he is a three-time champion, and did not attempt to qualify for this month's U.S. Open.
