Phil Mickelson is no longer a member of a Southern California club after a female employee accused him of inappropriate contact.
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According to Golf Digest, an employee at The Farms Golf Club outside of San Diego made the accusation. The inappropriate contact allegedly occurred before a round of golf earlier in the spring. Golf Digest withheld her name to protect her privacy.
The outlet's sources said that Mickelson approached the female employee at the clubhouse and made "nonconsensual" and "inappropriate" physical contact. The employee then reportedly reported the incident to supervisors.
Club officials, per Golf Digest, then confronted the professional golfer on the course after conducting an investigation. They reportedly told him to vacate the premises.
"The Farms Golf Club is committed to maintaining a golf club environment that is safe, respectful and reflects the highest standards of conduct," a statement from the club said in part. "All members are required to adhere to our Code of Conduct, and any allegations of misconduct are taken seriously.
"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. This individual is no longer a member of The Farms Golf Club."
Mickelson's spokesperson provided a statement regarding the matter and said, "Any misunderstanding has been cleared up. Phil continues to attend to a family health matter and is uncertain when he will be able to return to professional golf."
Mickelson had previously announced that he would not compete in The Masters while dealing with a personal health matter in his family. He said in a statement on social media that he would be out for an extended period of time.
The golfer has retained defamation counsel, who told Golf Digest that he is determined to hold accountable "any publication or individual" circulating false information.
