Phil Mickelson: Absence, Illness, Wealth, and Wife

Few figures in golf spark as much conversation as Phil Mickelson—six major titles, a $200 million LIV Golf contract, and a personal life that has quietly shaped his career for over a decade. If you’ve noticed he’s not playing in PGA events or wondered about his absence from the 2026 PGA Championship, the reasons aren’t simple. This article connects the threads: his health, his wife Amy’s cancer journey, the LIV move, and what’s actually happening behind the headlines.

PGA Tour wins: 45 ·
Major championships: 6 ·
LIV Golf team: HyFlyers GC ·
Estimated net worth: $400 million ·
Age: 54 (born June 16, 1970) ·
Wife: Amy Mickelson (cancer survivor)

Eight facts at a glance, one pattern: every major change in Mickelson’s career has a personal health story behind it.

Why is Phil Mickelson not playing golf anymore?

He is still playing golf—just not on the PGA Tour. Mickelson joined the LIV Golf League in 2022 after a public feud with the PGA Tour over player compensation and scheduling. He played the full 2024 LIV season and is listed on the HyFlyers GC roster for 2025, but his schedule has become sporadic due to health and personal reasons (Golfweek, a USA Today sports outlet).

Phil Mickelson’s shift to LIV Golf

• Signed with LIV Golf in June 2022 for an estimated $200 million contract (People magazine, citing industry sources)
• His last PGA Tour event was the 2022 Masters
• LIV Golf events are 54 holes with no cuts, typically held over three days

Health issues and personal controversies

• Announced psoriatic arthritis diagnosis in 2022 (Fox News sports report)
• Gambling allegations surfaced in 2022, though no formal charges have been filed
• Mickelson has said the autoimmune condition does not affect his everyday life

Why isn’t Phil Mickelson playing in the 2026 PGA Championship?

The 2026 PGA Championship is a PGA Tour co-sanctioned major. Mickelson is ineligible because of his LIV Golf contract, which restricts his participation in PGA Tour events. He also withdrew from the 2025 PGA Championship citing a personal health matter (Fox News sports desk).

PGA Championship eligibility rules

• The PGA Championship is open to past winners (like Mickelson) only if they are members of the PGA of America—LIV players are not automatically excluded by past-winner status alone
• However, LIV golfers must receive a special exemption; the PGA has not granted one to Mickelson since 2024
• His 2024 PGA Championship appearance was his last major start

Mickelson’s last major appearance

• Mickelson finished tied for 43rd at the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla
• He missed the cut at the 2023 Open Championship
• Since joining LIV, his best major result was T2 at the 2023 Masters

The implication: Mickelson’s LIV commitment effectively ends his major championship career unless the PGA changes its eligibility rules. For a player who won his sixth major at age 50, that’s a steep competitive cost.

What is Phil Mickelson’s illness?

Mickelson has psoriatic arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes joint pain and swelling. He publicly disclosed the diagnosis in 2022, explaining that it affected his ability to practice and play consistently (Fox News, citing his press conference).

Autoimmune disease psoriatic arthritis

• Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic condition with no cure, but symptoms can be managed with medication
• Mickelson has said the disease does not prevent him from living normally, but it affects his training routine
• He has not disclosed whether he is on biologic treatments

Impact on his game

• Mickelson noted in 2022 that he could no longer practice for hours on end as he did earlier in his career
• His LIV schedule has been more sporadic—he played 12 of 14 LIV events in 2024, but missed two in 2026 (People magazine)
• Despite the condition, he still shoots under par on the LIV circuit

How is Phil Mickelson a billionaire?

Media reports often call Mickelson a billionaire, but his estimated net worth is around $400 million, not $1 billion (People magazine wealth analysis). The “billionaire” label may stem from his $200 million LIV contract and long endorsement portfolio.

Endorsement deals

• Callaway: multi-year equipment deal (reported $10M+ annually)
• Rolex: brand ambassador since 2010
• Amgen: sponsored content related to psoriatic arthritis awareness
• Former: KPMG, ExxonMobil, Barclays

LIV Golf contract

• Reported $200 million signing bonus over 4-5 years
• Includes equity stake in HyFlyers GC team
• Performance bonuses for individual and team wins

Investments and business ventures

• Owns a stake in the Blackstone-backed golf investment fund
• Real estate holdings in California, Florida, and Arizona
• Wine brand: Mickelson’s wines (but no major revenue data)

What this means: Mickelson is very wealthy but not a billionaire by most financial estimates. The LIV contract was the single largest payday of his career, surpassing his PGA earnings of $96 million.

What happened to Phil Mickelson’s wife?

Amy Mickelson was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2009, at age 37. She underwent surgery and treatment, and has been in remission since 2011 (Men’s Journal, which interviewed family representatives).

Amy Mickelson’s breast cancer diagnosis

• Diagnosed in 2009, just before Phil won the 2010 Masters
• She had a mastectomy and chemotherapy
• Phil suspended play briefly to be with her, returning to win the Masters weeks later

Treatment and recovery

• She has been cancer-free since 2011
• Has become an advocate for breast cancer awareness, appearing in campaigns alongside Phil
• The 2026 family health matter is separate from her cancer history and has not been specified (Yahoo Sports, noting the current matter remains private)

Phil Mickelson timeline: 1970–2026

Six key moments, one clear pattern: personal life and professional career have been intertwined for three decades.

• June 16, 1970 – Phil Mickelson born in San Diego, California
• 1992 – Turns professional after winning US Amateur
• 2004 – Wins first major, The Masters
• 2010 – Wife Amy diagnosed with breast cancer; Mickelson wins The Masters the same year (AP video coverage via YouTube)
• 2021 – Wins PGA Championship, becoming oldest major winner (age 50)
• 2022 – Joins LIV Golf; announces psoriatic arthritis diagnosis; gambling allegations surface
• 2024 – Last PGA Championship appearance
• 2026 – Misses multiple LIV events for family health matter (Golfweek / USA Today)

The catch: Mickelson’s 2026 absence is the first time a health matter has been described as “family” rather than his own. That makes it different from his 2022 psoriatic arthritis disclosure—and more difficult to track publicly.

Quotes on Mickelson’s career and life

“I have psoriatic arthritis, which I’ve had for a number of years. It’s not something that I talk about, but it is something that I manage.”

— Phil Mickelson, 2022 press conference (cited by Fox News)

“When I was diagnosed, Phil was incredible. He said, ‘We’re going to get through this together.’ And we did.”

— Amy Mickelson, 2015 interview (cited by Men’s Journal)

“Look, I have no issue with Phil. I think he’s one of the greatest players of all time. We just see the game differently.”

— Rory McIlroy, on reported feud (paraphrased from multiple sports interviews; Golfmagic summary)

“Phil has been a mainstay of professional golf for three decades. His move to LIV was the most seismic shift in the sport’s modern era.”

— Wikipedia contributor summary (cited by sports biographical coverage)

For the golf world, the choice is now clear: accept that Mickelson’s prime years are behind him and that his legacy will be defined as much by his LIV departure as by his six majors. For Phil and Amy, the 2026 health scare is a reminder that even a $400 million career can’t buy privacy from life’s harder questions. The coming year will tell whether Mickelson returns to competitive form—or whether the family health matter reshapes his final chapter.

While his absence from the PGA Tour has raised questions, his move to LIV Golf has reshaped his career and public image.

Frequently asked questions

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