feature-image

Imago

feature-image

Imago

Phil Mickelson was unavailable for four events in a row at the beginning of the 2026 LIV Golf season. Citing a family emergency, Lefty didn’t make himself available for the HiFlyers GC until their trip to South Africa. Interestingly, that was also the last time he played a LIV Golf event. It is now confirmed that he is about to skip a LIV Golf event for the sixth time this season.

Watch What’s Trending Now!

As many sources have confirmed, Mickelson will not be on the field for LIV Golf Virginia 2026. Unlike his initial four misses, he hasn’t provided a reason why he is skipping the trip to the Trump National Golf Club. However, Sports Illustrated has called it an undisclosed family matter.

ADVERTISEMENT

Interestingly, the 55-year-old wasn’t at Club de Golf Chapultepec a few weeks ago as well. He hadn’t released a statement about his absence from the Mexico City event as well. However, Lefty did express his disappointment about not being available for the 2026 Masters Tournament a week before that.

As LIV Golf’s future hangs in the balance, Mickelson’s silence for his absence seems even more alarming. Could it be that he has lost the motivation to support a league that has no concrete financial support? Although it’s all just speculation, the rumor mills are running wild about top players looking for a way out. The six-time major winner, who has been the strongest promoter of LIV Golf, could have also had a change of heart to protect his future in the sport.

ADVERTISEMENT

Either way, this is the sixth event in seven fixtures for Mickelson. And with less than half the season to go, he has a lot of action to catch up.

ADVERTISEMENT

Will Phil Mickelson get another opportunity to play in LIV Golf?

The PIF pulled its funding from LIV Golf on April 29, 2026. The confirmation must have sent shockwaves through the entire LIV Golf roster. Rumors suggested that Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau‘s teams were already negotiating a deal with the PGA Tour executives to bring them back.

ADVERTISEMENT

Amid all the tension, LIV Golf has still been trying to find financial partners. They have earned the faith of a few venues like Andalucia, South Africa, and Mexico City. And they also signed a broadcast deal with Sony Pictures Networks India recently. However, there is tension between the league and the Louisiana government, putting the state event at risk.

Considering all these factors, things can go either way for LIV Golf. The next event is scheduled in Korea from May 28 to 31, 2026. Whether the league survives by then or not is still uncertain. And if it does, then we will have to see if Phil Mickelson makes an appearance at the Asiad Country Club.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Share this with a friend:

Link Copied!

ADVERTISEMENT

Written by

author-image

Molin Sheth

2,097 Articles

Molin Sheth is a senior Golf writer at EssentiallySports and a key member of the ES Golf Trends Desk. He brings strong editorial judgment and a data-driven approach to uncovering the game’s overlooked angles, delivering insightful play-by-play reporting across golf’s four major championships. As part of the EssentiallySports Journalistic Excellence Program, an in-house initiative that mentors and develops writers through expert guidance and rigorous training, Molin works closely with industry-leading mentors to bring clarity and depth to a sport where precision matters and every shot tells a story.

Know more

ADVERTISEMENT