After being away for longer than he anticipated, Phil Mickelson is set to return to the LIV Golf lineup this week. But the end of this seven-month hiatus isn’t coming with just excitement for the HyFlyers GC captain. It comes with a strong message and competitive fire.

“I’ve really missed seeing everyone and competing. I’m so excited to be back with the guys this week 👍👍,” Mickelson wrote on X before making his season debut in South Africa at The Club at Steyn City in Johannesburg.

Mickelson last played competitive golf in August 2025 at the conclusion of the last LIV season. After spending a quiet offseason where his time was mostly occupied with the American crime-family drama series Animal Kingdom on Netflix, the 6x major champion shared that he would miss the first two events of the season in Riyadh and Adelaide. The health matter didn’t get better, so he had to miss two more in Hong Kong and Singapore.

And during his absence, the HyFlyers GC relied on replacement players to fill the empty spot. Ollie Schniederjans played in Riyadh while veteran Wade Ormsby filled in for the next three matches. The team has struggled without their leader, currently sitting in 12th place out of 13 teams, only ahead of the Majesticks GC. The team’s new signee Michael LaSasso, last year’s NCAA champion at Ole Miss and a member of the victorious U.S. Walker Cup team, is still going through a learning curve, finishing T41, T32, and T55 in the last two events of the season.

The timing of the return is important. Concerns about his readiness for his 34th Masters appearance escalated, leading his team to officially announce his return on March 16. After joining the team, in a video shared by his squad during a practice round, Mickelson shared the news.

“Hey guys, it’s Phil. I’m really excited to be back. I’ve got the guys here behind me hitting some balls. We’ve got the young buck over here, Michael Sasso, hitting bombs. And gosh, it’s just—it’s fun to be back. I really—I really missed hanging with the guys, and it should be a fun week.”

Mickelson’s return will be a massive addition to his team, even though the golf legend struggled in the major championships last season, missing the cut in three of four starts. However, there are distinct hopes around his healthy return. In 2025, Mickelson achieved his most consistent LIV results, including a 3rd place in Hong Kong and a T4 in Virginia.

Despite missing his golf clubs during the hiatus, Mickelson remained fully engaged in the golf world.

Phil Mickelson was the first person to predict AK’s legendary return

Phil Mickelson was the first person to celebrate Anthony Kim’s journey from the very start, behind the scenes.

“AK gets his life back, and now his golf game is back. He’s on LIV Golf for 2026. Congratulations! Truly Inspirational 🫡,” he wrote on X when Anthony Kim earned his spot back this January in LIV Golf’s promotional event.

Since then, after a steady start in Riyadh, Kim made history at LIV Golf Adelaide. He shot a final-round 9-under 63 to claim his first pro win after 16 years of personal and professional struggle in a field that featured players like Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.

Mickelson, once again, was among the first to celebrate the moment, calling it “one of the best stories in sports” and adding, “Winning a major? I wouldn’t put it past him.  He deserves the opportunity to find out. 🙏Just my opinion. Either way, he has inspired so many through his hard work and dedication. Emily and Bella must be so proud👍👍.”

As of now, it is not known yet how strong Phil Mickelson will be when he returns to the field. But, certainly, he is not the only one who missed the golf course; the sport also missed him significantly during this period. But this wait is about to end on March 19, 2026, when the inaugural LIV Golf South Africa event officially begins.