Phil Mickelson leaves 2026 Open field
Phil Mickelson moved to the non-playing exempt list for the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England. The change removed him from the competitor field before the July play.
The update means Mickelson is set to miss all four men’s majors in 2026. His full-year major absence would be the first since 1990, before his professional golf career began.
Phil Mickelson skips four majors
Phil Mickelson is set to miss every men’s major in one calendar year for the first time in 36 years. The 1990 season came two years before he turned professional.
The 2026 major schedule is set to pass without a Mickelson start after The Open moved him off the competitor list. Royal Birkdale became the final event in that sequence.
Phil Mickelson keeps Open eligibility
Phil Mickelson remained eligible for The Open through his past champion status in 2026. He won the 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield in Scotland after closing with a final-round 66.
The 2026 exemption rules list past Open champions from his era through age 60. Mickelson was 56 when the Royal Birkdale field update placed him outside the competition this season.
Phil Mickelson has one 2026 start
Phil Mickelson’s only listed competitive start in 2026 came at LIV Golf South Africa. He tied for 48th at The Club at Steyn City in Midrand during the March tournament play.
That appearance followed his absence from the first four LIV Golf events of 2026. Reserve players filled his HyFlyers spot before he returned for the South Africa tournament field in March.
Phil Mickelson cites family matter
Phil Mickelson said he and Amy Mickelson needed to be present for a family health matter before the LIV Golf season opened. The statement covered his early 2026 absence from competition.
The same matter later explained his Master’s absence and PGA Championship withdrawal. The U.S. Open did not give him a special invitation, leaving him with 3 majors without a start before the Open field changed.
Phil Mickelson misses the Masters
Phil Mickelson missed the Masters in April 2026 after saying he expected to be away from golf for an extended period. Augusta became his first major absence from the season’s schedule.
Later updates kept him out of the PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and The Open field at Royal Birkdale. That order placed the Masters first in the four-event 2026 sequence.
Phil Mickelson exits PGA field
Phil Mickelson withdrew from the PGA Championship during his 2026 break from competition. The move followed the same family health matter cited before his Master’s absence in April that year.
The PGA Championship became his second missed major of 2026. The U.S. Open and The Open remained the final major possibilities before later updates left him outside both fields.
Phil Mickelson lacks U.S. Open invite
Phil Mickelson did not receive a special invitation to the 2026 U.S. Open. His U.S. Open exemption from winning the 2021 PGA Championship had expired after the 2025 season.
That decision left him outside the June field, making the U.S. Open his third major absence of 2026. The Open remained his last possible major start that year.
Phil Mickelson changes Open status
Phil Mickelson’s name moved from the The Open competitor field to the non-playing exempt section. The tournament website listed him among exempt players who did not enter or withdraw before play.
The change came before the July 16-19 championship at Royal Birkdale in England. The Open became the final 2026 major absent from Mickelson’s schedule that summer.
Phil Mickelson ends Open run
Phil Mickelson is set to miss The Open for the first time since the 2009 event, when he skipped Turnberry during a difficult family period involving cancer treatment for his wife, Amy, and his mother, Mary.
His 2026 absence breaks a long Open run that included the 2013 title at Muirfield in Scotland. That win gave him past-champion entry rights through age 60 under exemption rules.
Phil Mickelson joins absent winners
Phil Mickelson was not the only former Open champion outside the Royal Birkdale field. Tiger Woods, Zach Johnson, and Ernie Els also appeared among exempt noncompetitors before July play began.
Scottie Scheffler entered the 2026 Open as the reigning champion after winning The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush in 2025. His title carried the current champion line at Royal Birkdale.
Phil Mickelson faces club reports
Phil Mickelson was reported to no longer be a member of The Farms, a private club outside San Diego. The club sits near his hometown golf roots in California.
Mickelson declined direct comment on the report. A spokesperson said the matter had been cleared up and that his focus remained on a family health issue while away from competition.
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Phil Mickelson has no return date
Phil Mickelson’s spokesperson said he remained uncertain about when he could return to professional golf. The statement followed questions about his club membership and wider 2026 absence from competition play.
His 2026 record still showed one LIV Golf start after the South Africa event. No confirmed tournament date appeared for his comeback before the Open field changed in June that year.
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Phil Mickelson’s 2026 major absence ends one of golf’s longest-running patterns, but should past champion exemptions stay this long, or should fields move faster toward current form? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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