Phil Mickelson won't play the PGA Championship next week amid family health matter: 'I wish I could'

Phil Mickelson won’t be playing at the PGA Championship next week after all.

While Mickelson was listed in the initial field released by the PGA of America on Tuesday for next week’s major championship, he confirmed soon after that he would not be playing.

“I wish I could. I can’t unfortunately,” Mickelson told Flushing It Golf. “I’m hoping to play the rest of the year after that, but honestly I don’t know.”

Mickelson announced last month before the Masters that he was taking a step away from golf due to a “personal health matter” in his family. He didn’t get into specifics, but he hasn’t played anywhere since. It’s unclear when or where he will return to competitive golf.

Mickelson has only played in one LIV Golf event this season, back at the South Africa tournament. That league, which Mickelson was a massive supporter of in its early days and drew plenty of criticism for comments he made about partnering with Saudi Arabia, has since lost its funding from the country’s Public Investment Fund after the 2026 campaign. The league’s future is now very unclear.

Mickelson has won six major championships in his career. His last one came at the PGA Championship in 2021 at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, which marked his second win at the event. He also claimed the 2005 PGA Championship.

While he finished T2 at the Masters two years later, he has largely struggled in recent years after making the jump to LIV Golf. He’s missed the cut at seven of the next 11 major championships, including three of the four last season. He finished T56 at the British Open.