Phil Mickelson sought treatment for addiction and family trauma, spokesperson says
Phil Mickelson at The Hong Kong Golf Club in March.Yu Chun Christopher Wong / GettyShareAdd NBC News to GoogleOct. 1, 2026, 1:48 PM EDT / Updated Oct. 1, 2026, 2:30 PM EDTBy Matt LavietesGolf legend Phil Mickelson checked himself into a treatment facility earlier this year to address family trauma and addiction, his spokesperson confirmed to NBC News Thursday.
Mickelson, 56, is no longer at the facility, and it is not clear when he entered treatment or for how long. His representative did not give further details about the nature of his stay at the unnamed facility and declined to answer additional questions.
The announcement comes amid a turbulent year for the six-time major champion.
FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decisionFOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummetedFOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlightFOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supportersFOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplementFOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio raceFOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wifeFOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledgeFOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before electionFOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound planeFOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agentsFOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source saysFOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years agoFOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stageFOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammatesIn April, Mickelson said he would step away from competition for an extended period while his family navigated “a personal health matter.”
Mickelson, who is married and has three children, was reportedly barred from his longtime Southern California golf club, The Farms Golf Club, after being accused of making “nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact” with a female club employee. The allegations were first reported by Golf Digest, citing multiple sources.
FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decisionFOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummetedFOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlightFOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supportersFOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplementFOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio raceFOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wifeFOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledgeFOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before electionFOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound planeFOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agentsFOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source saysFOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years agoFOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stageFOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammatesAt the time, a representative for Mickelson described the encounter as a “misunderstanding.” Mickelson’s attorney, Tom Locke, said in a statement: “There is a great deal of misinformation circulating and, while Phil’s full attention is devoted to a private family health matter, he has retained defamation counsel and is determined to hold accountable any publication or individual trafficking in speculation or false rumors.”
Mickelson is far from the first professional athlete to seek treatment for addiction. Olympic champion Michael Phelps went to rehab in 2014 after a DUI arrest. This spring, golf champion Tiger Woods said he was seeking treatment for substance abuse after his vehicle rolled over in Florida and he was charged with driving under the influence in March.
Mickelson has won 45 PGA Tour events, including six majors.
Matt LavietesI’m a reporter on NBC News’ breaking news team, covering crime, extreme weather, pop culture and more. I recently covered Hurricane Milton, which devastated the Tampa, Florida, metropolitan area, and the student-led protests at Columbia University.
