Mickelson to miss another LIV event as replacement | Golf News

Phil Mickelson is poised to miss his third consecutive LIV Golf event after revealing he and his spouse had been addressing a “family health matter.”

The six-time major winner missed the season-opening tournaments in Saudi Arabia and Australia last month, and he might be absent once more when the breakaway circuit travels to Hong Kong this week.

“We are excited to have Wade join the team again in Hong Kong as he steps in for Phil,” Mickelson’s HyFlyers staff said on social media. “As a two-time winner of The Hong Kong Open, Wade brings a great deal of familiarity to Hong Kong Golf Club.”

Mickelson has maintained privateness concerning the main points of the personal scenario, releasing a concise assertion on the eve of the season to announce his absence.

“I will not be able to participate in the first two LIV Events as [my wife] Amy and I need to be present for a family health matter,” Mickelson said.

“I can’t wait to compete again and look forward to rejoining my teammates as soon as possible. In the meantime, Ollie Schniederjans will step in for me in Riyadh as I root on HyFlyers GC from afar.”

LIV is set to kick off a collection of three occasions in three weeks, with the breakaway league heading to Singapore and South Africa following the conclusion of play in Fanling on Sunday.

This may imply Mickelson might miss extra occasions if his personal circumstances do not change soon. Whilst household issues must take priority, his continued absence may pose challenges for his future in the game.

LIV has elevated the quantity of gamers who might be relegated this season, with 11 full-time gamers slated to lose their playing cards. Each event Mickelson misses will widen the hole he wants to close to preserve his spot in the league for 2027.

Currently, Mickelson is 12 factors behind the security line, a quantity that will increase once the match concludes in Hong Kong.

This issue is additional exacerbated by the rust he’ll need to shake off upon his return; Mickelson hasn’t performed competitively since the end of last season in August.

Former world No. 1 Lee Westwood, like Mickelson, missed the first two occasions of the season. The Englishman has been grappling with a wrist injury, and it is still unsure whether or not he’ll make a comeback in Hong Kong.