Phil Mickelson first played the Masters in 1991 and has played the tournament every year since 1995, but he won’t be making the trip down Magnolia Lane this year.
The three-time champion won’t play the storied tournament in a few weeks, Augusta National Golf Club confirmed to CBS’ Kyle Porter on Monday. That confirmation came as fans noticed Mickelson’s name on a list of “past champions not playing” on the Masters’ list of invitees on the tournament’s official website.
Mickelson has been on a bumpy ride in recent weeks and months for controversial comments he made regarding his similarly controversial involvement with a Saudi Arabian-backed renegade golf league. In a statement last month, Mickelson indicated he was going to step away from the game for a bit, and PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan didn’t exactly dispel the notion Mickelson had been suspended. The Masters isn’t run by the Tour, but Augusta certainly holds its members and competitors to a high moral standard, so it wouldn’t be surprising to find they asked Mickelson to sit this one out.
One interesting development from Monday’s revelations, though, was what it all means for Tiger Woods. Once again, Woods ultimately overshadowed Mickelson, as everyone was quick to point out Woods’ name wasn’t on the list of past champions not playing, despite Woods’ ongoing recovery from a devastating car crash in early 2021.
And on and on and on.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Woods returns for the Masters. His latest updates have been encouraging, and it seems inevitable he once again will tee it up at the highest level. However, Woods has also been honest about how much work he still has to do in order to even begin thinking about competing in a major, even if it’s at a place like Augusta that he knows like the back of his hand.
There’s also this: DraftKings Sportsbook has Woods listed at 40-1 to win the Masters, shorter odds than we saw earlier this year, seemingly indicating some betting momentum from the public.
The reality is Woods hasn’t made a formal decision — or hasn’t yet notified Augusta National of his decision — and thus isn’t on that list.
But that’s not going to stop fans from hoping.
