Phil Mickelson to Miss Masters for First Time in Nearly 30 Years

Most golf fans have never watched a Masters event without seeing Phil Mickelson play, but they will get their chance this year.

For the first time since 1994, Phil Mickelson will not play at the Masters’ Tournament. The golf legend known to many as “Lefty” was listed among “past champions not playing” on the organization’s website.

Mickelson’s exclusion from the famous tournament comes a month after his comments regarding a new Saudi-sponsored golf league stirred controversy.

In an excerpt from an upcoming biography, Mickelson discussed his decision to become involved in a new Saudi-backed golf league stirred controversy.

“They killed [Washington Post reporter Jamal] Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights,” Mickelson told the biographical author in an interview, ESPN reports. “They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates.”

Mickelson also told the author that the PGA likes to “pretend it’s a democracy, but it’s really a dictatorship.”

The PGA champ apologized for his remarks in a statement posted to Twitter.

“Although it doesn’t look this way now given my recent comments, my actions throughout this process have always been with the best interest of golf, my peers, sponsors, and fans,” the golf legend wrote.

Monahan has, for the most part, avoided directly addressing Mickelson publicly.

“Listen, he’s a player that’s won 45 times on the PGA Tour. He’s had a Hall of Fame career. He’s won here at the Players Championship,” Monahan said, according to Golf Digest. “He’s inspired a lot of people and helped grow this tour, his tour. So as difficult as it is to read some of the things that were said, ultimately a conversation will be had when he’s ready to have it, and I will be ready to have it, as well.”

Mickelson continues to object to the PGA’s practice of not sharing revenues from the PGA’s broadcast rights deals and digital assets. Mickelson maintains that his interest in the Saudi-sponsored golf league remains to force the reform of the PGA, as opposed to developing a rival to the PGA.