Star golfer banned from local club for 'inappropriate contact' with female staffer: report
DORAL, FL - APR 6: Phil Mickelson of HyFlyers tees off the 17th hole during the second round of LIV Golf Miami on April 6, 2024 at Trump National Doral. (Image via Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com)

Golfing legend Phil Mickelson has been banned from the golf club near where he lives, following allegations of unwanted physical contact with a female employee.

Several sources have confided to Golf Digest that Mickelson "is no longer a member at The Farms Golf Club outside San Diego after a female club employee accused the six-time major champion of inappropriate contact with her before a round of golf earlier this spring."

The sources said that Mickelson "approached the female employee at the clubhouse where he made nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact with her. The employee rejected his advances. As Mickelson returned to the course, the employee reported the incident to supervisors." Management of The Farms began investigating, then located Mickelson "mid-round" and "confronted [him] with the accusation on the course."

A spokesperson for Mickelson, who is currently off the professional circuit due to personal obligations, 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 has found himself in a series of other controversies in the past.

Back in 2014, he was the subject of an insider trading investigation, and a 2023 book asserts he also escaped money laundering charges. More recently, Mickelson came under heavy criticism for joining the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour, which is now falling apart after it was promoted lavishly and hosting events at a number of Trump properties and after its backers pulled funding.