Phil Mickelson to miss the 2022 Masters

According to Matias Grez of CNN on Tuesday, Phil Mickelson will be missing the Masters for the first time since 1994. The 2021 PGA Championship winner  previously won the Masters in 2004, 2006, and 2010. When he won the 103rd PGA Championship last year at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina, Mickelson became the oldest men’s major golf champion of all-time at the age of 50.

Mickelson has six major titles overall. He previously won the 2005 PGA Championship and 2013 British Open, in addition to his three Masters titles and the PGA Championship from last year. No reports have been made if Mickelson will defend the PGA Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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Mickelson has taken time away from professional golf since controversial comments about Saudi Arabia and the proposed Saudi Arabia golf league backed by Australian golf legend Greg Norman were made public. The comments were initially made in November, and were published by golf writer Alan Shipnuck in March according to the Associated Press.

Mickelson reportedly said, “We know they killed (Washington Post columnist Jamal) Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it?” He also stated Saudis are “scary (expletive) to get involved with.”

The world’s best golfers are in Austin, Texas this week for the World Golf Matchplay Championships. On the opening day, Maverick McNealy of Portola Valley, California had the most impressive victory of all the 32 matches. He defeated Joaquin Niemann of Chile 8 & 6. The blowout win was even more noteworthy when you consider the fact McNealy was seeded 64th of all 64 golfers  entered, while Niemann was ranked 14th.