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With Tiger Woods stepping away from golf and not playing in the Masters next week, another golf legend will not be on the course at Augusta National Golf Club.
Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson released a statement Thursday saying he will not play in this year’s tournament.
“Unfortunately, I will not be playing in the Masters Tournament next week and will be out for an extended period of time as my family continues to navigate a personal health issue,” Mickelson’s statement on social media said.
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Phil Mickelson plays a shot from the fifth tee during LIV Golf South Africa at The Club at Steyn City in Johannesburg on March 20, 2026. (Johan Rynners/Getty Images)
“I wish everyone the best of luck and will be watching.”
Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley also released a statement following Mickelson’s decision.
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“We know how much Phil loves the Masters tournament and he will be missed by everyone at Augusta next week,” Ridley’s statement read. “He has our full support as he takes time to be with his family.”
The 55-year-old Mickelson missed four LIV Golf events earlier this year, noting that he was dealing with a “family health issue.”
Phil Mickelson walks the 16th fairway during LIV Golf Indianapolis at The Club at Chatham Hills in Westfield, Ind., Aug. 16, 2025. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
He was on the track in South Africa two weeks ago, leading his HyFlyers GC team to the event. Mickelson finished tied for 48 in the event.
Mickelson’s Masters announcement comes after Woods stepped away from golf “to seek treatment” following a DUI arrest following a crash Friday in Jupiter Island, Florida.
Woods, a 15-time major winner and five-time Masters champion, and Mickelson sat atop the golf world beginning in the late 1990s and through the 2010s. While Woods usually sat atop the world golf rankings, Mickelson was his fiercest competitor, winning six majors during his storied career.
Phil Mickelson of HyFlyers GC walks the first green during the semifinals of the LIV Golf Michigan Team Championship at The Cardinal at Saint John’s Resort on August 23, 2025. (Aaron Doster/Imagn Images)
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So two golf icons won’t be at Augusta National next week when the 90th edition of the Masters starts on Thursday, April 9.
