Phil Mickelson Faces Multiple Sexual Misconduct Accusations. His Attorney Says Some Are False.

Two Separate Accusations, Years Apart

Phil Mickelson, 56, is facing two distinct sets of misconduct allegations that have emerged over the past several weeks. The incidents allegedly occurred more than a decade apart, and the factual record on each looks different.

The more recent allegation involves The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, California, a club where Mickelson had been a long-standing member. According to a Golf Digest report, Mickelson approached a female employee in the clubhouse sometime earlier this spring and made "nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact." The employee rejected him and reported it to club supervisors. The club conducted what it described as a thorough independent investigation, confronted Mickelson on the course, and removed him from the premises. He is no longer a member.

The Farms said in a statement to Golf Digest: "Following a staff member report of member misconduct, the club provided immediate and ongoing support to the staff member, conducted a thorough independent investigation of the incident and took decisive action."

What Law Enforcement Actually Said

The San Diego County Sheriff's Office said in a May 13 statement to Golf Channel that it has "not located any evidence to show an assault has occurred" and does not have an active investigation. The office added it would investigate further if provided additional evidence. No charges have been filed.

Mickelson's defamation attorney, Tom Clare, said video evidence contradicts the employee's account. The Farms responded that no video cameras were present in the area where the alleged misconduct occurred, according to the Los Angeles Times. One of those two things is true. An earlier version of the LA Times story incorrectly stated the Sheriff's Office was actively investigating. The Times issued a correction on June 13.

The Golf Channel's report initially stated Mickelson was kicked out of The Farms. That was later updated to reflect Golf Digest's revised reporting, which states Mickelson resigned his membership. The distinction matters and both outlets corrected the record.

The 2015 Allegation

The older allegation comes from Ashley Perez, ex-wife of professional golfer Pat Perez. In an interview with Skratch, Ashley alleged that during the 2015 Barclays Championship, Mickelson showed her a nude photo of himself on his phone while the two were briefly alone. Pat had stepped away to use the bathroom. She says Mickelson told her he would leave his bedroom door open and asked her to come see him after Pat fell asleep.

Ashley told Skratch she recorded a subsequent phone call in which Mickelson apologized for the incident. Skratch has that recording, according to the Daily Beast's reporting on the same story.

Pat Perez addressed the rift publicly well before these details became public. In a 2022 appearance on Claude Harmon's podcast, Pat said: "Phil crossed the line with me that is just uncrossable and unforgivable. He knows that he screwed up. He apologized for the action, but I cannot forgive him for it."

The recorded apology and Pat Perez's own on-record statement are the strongest corroborating evidence in the public record for Ashley's account.

Mickelson's Response

A spokeswoman for Mickelson said in a statement: "Some of the allegations circulating about Mr. Mickelson are false, and others revisit mistakes he has already acknowledged, publicly or privately. Stacking the disputed claims next to the ones he has owned does not make them credible."

Attorney Tom Clare, in a statement to the Daily Beast, went further: "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."

The 2015 incident is over ten years old. Mickelson apparently acknowledged it at the time. Revisiting a privately apologized-for incident years later, layered with newer and disputed allegations, does carry a real risk of creating a narrative that treats the settled and the unsettled as equally proven.

But the apology itself, which Ashley Perez says she recorded, suggests something did happen. And the club's independent investigation, resulting in his departure from membership, shows an institution with direct knowledge concluded action was warranted, regardless of what the cameras did or did not capture.

Context

Mickelson stepped back from professional golf this year due to what his camp has described only as a serious family health matter. He last played at LIV Golf South Africa in March 2026, according to Golf Channel. He did not play the Masters or the PGA Championship, and he is no longer exempt for the U.S. Open.

The Daily Beast's headline called Mickelson a "Trumpy Golfer" in its framing of the story. That label has no bearing on the allegations.

What Remains Unresolved

Mickelson's attorney says video refutes the Farms allegation. The club says there was no video in the relevant area. One of those two things is true. Skratch says it has a recording of Mickelson's apology call to Ashley Perez. That recording has not been made fully public. Whether Mickelson's camp disputes the contents of that call, or only the characterization of what it means, has not been clarified on the record.