Phil Mickelson has withdrawn from next week’s 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pa.
The six-time major champion was originally listed in the field for the second major of the season, but the tournament announced on Tuesday that Mickelson withdrew from the event, citing a “personal health matter with his family” as the reason.
The 55-year-old skipped this year’s Masters for the same reason.
Mickelson’s withdrawal opened a spot for Max Homa in the 154-player field, which is headlined by defending champion Scottie Scheffler.
In addition to the Masters, Mickelson has also skipped five of the six LIV Golf events in 2026. His only start came back in March when he finished T48 at LIV South Africa.
Mickelson’s repeated absences on LIV and in the majors coincide with the news that Saudi Arabia’s PIF will be pulling its funding of the renegade tour, leaving its future very much in doubt.
“I just want to be really sensitive,” LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil told ESPN ahead of the circuit’s tournament in Virginia this week. “We all have things going on in our lives that are personal, and his is. I have a lot of love and respect for him as a human being, and certainly have respect for him for what he’s accomplished in his career. His presence is really helpful. I hope he comes back soon.
“I miss his presence at events. He carries a ton of weight in every room he walks. That’s not only because he’s a six-time major champion, but he’s got gravitas. It comes with something that’s way beyond winning. He’s one of the guys helping me, of course.”
Tiger Woods, who reportedly entered a treatment program in Switzerland following a DUI arrest in March, will not be in next week’s field, either. The 2026 Masters was the first time since 1994 that the field at Augusta National didn’t include either Woods or Mickelson.
In other PGA Championship news, the tournament did make one surprise addition to the field by extending a special exemption to two-time major champion Dustin Johnson despite his eligibility running out last year.
Johnson, who is captain of the 4Aces club on LIV, is currently ranked No. 468 in the Official World Golf Rankings. This will be the 68th consecutive major that Johnson has qualified for, though he did miss three grand slams in that span due to injuries and personal reasons. Johnson finished T33 at the Masters in April.
The 2026 PGA Championship gets underway at Aronimink on Thursday, May 14.
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