Phil Mickelson Accused of Sexual Harassment in New Report

A new investigative report has put golf star Phil Mickelson at the center of a major sex scandal, alleging a pattern of sexual harassment and crude behavior. The report, by journalist Alan Shipnack for Skratch, says the most serious episode took place in 2015 during a PGA tournament in New Jersey, when Mickelson invited fellow golfer Pat Perez and Perez’s then-wife, Ashley, to stay at his luxury villa.

According to Ashley Perez, after Pat stepped away to use the bathroom, Mickelson showed her a full nude photo of himself and then told her, "I’m going to leave my bedroom door open tonight. When Pat falls asleep, I want you to come see me." She rejected the advance and told her husband after the tournament. Perez was furious, and the story spread among players until it became an underground locker-room rumor. Mickelson, who has been married to Amy for 30 years, later apologized to Perez twice, including in a 26-minute phone call in 2022 after Perez said on a podcast that he had a "special hatred for Phil."

During that call, Mickelson alternated between remorse and claiming he did not remember the night clearly. He also tried to argue that the image had shown him shirtless rather than fully naked. He told Perez and Ashley, "I can’t describe to you how disgusted and embarrassed I am with myself."

The report says this was not the only incident. Mickelson was also accused this year of "inappropriate and non-consensual physical contact" with an employee at an upscale golf club, and another woman said he made sexually explicit propositions to her in graphic terms. She described the encounter as feeling like "verbal rape." Mickelson’s lawyer, Tom Clare, called the coverage "click-chasing at the expense of the truth," while a spokesperson said some allegations are completely false. Mickelson has not competed since February and is taking time away from golf to focus on a private family health matter and, as the statement put it, to become the person and father his family deserves.