Phil Mickelson will not tee it up at Royal Birkdale. The 56-year-old’s name has moved out of the playing field for the 2026 Open Championship (July 16–19), Golf Digest first reported — meaning that, for the first time in his professional career, Mickelson will miss all four majors in a single year.
What Happened
Mickelson remains exempt for The Open until age 60 as the 2013 Champion Golfer of the Year, but the R&A now lists him among non-playing exempt players rather than in the field. It is his first missed Open since 2009, when he stepped away to be with his wife, Amy, during her cancer treatment.
The withdrawal completes a season-long absence. In February, ahead of LIV Golf’s opener, Mickelson said a family health matter meant he would be “out for an extended period of time.” He subsequently missed the Masters, the PGA Championship, and the US Open — the one major he never won, despite a record six runner-up finishes.
The absence also comes amid mounting off-course scrutiny. A Skratch investigation by Alan Shipnuck detailed a pattern of alleged inappropriate conduct spanning more than a decade, and Golf Digest reported that Mickelson is no longer a member of The Farms, his home club outside San Diego, after an employee accused him of nonconsensual contact. Mickelson has not been charged with any crime, and the allegations remain just that — allegations.
Why It Matters
According to bunkered, this ends a run of major championship appearances stretching back 36 years — a streak that began when Mickelson was a college amateur and survived injuries, a psoriatic arthritis diagnosis, and his defection to LIV Golf. Only a handful of players in history have combined that longevity with his peak: six major titles, including the 2021 PGA Championship, where he became the oldest major winner in history at age 50.
It is also another blow in a turbulent stretch for the sport’s ecosystem: The Open at Royal Birkdale now loses one of its great past champions from the field, weeks after final qualifying set the stage for the year’s last major, and while LIV Golf’s own funding crisis clouds the future of the league Mickelson helped launch. The season’s majors have belonged to a new generation — including Wyndham Clark’s US Open win at Shinnecock Hills.
What This Means For You
Whatever happens next in Mickelson’s career, his game remains one of the most instructive in modern golf. Nobody has made a better living around the greens: his hinge-and-hold chipping method is still the cleanest model for amateurs to copy — our guide to how to chip in golf breaks down the same fundamentals. And his two Open near-misses and 2013 triumph were masterclasses in flighting the ball and handling awkward stances on links terrain — skills you can borrow from our guide to playing uneven lies.
For viewers, the practical upshot: Royal Birkdale’s field will feature every other eligible past champion pathway, and the tournament’s storylines now center squarely on the current generation. The Open runs July 16–19, with qualifying complete and the field otherwise set.
Key Takeaways
- Phil Mickelson is out of the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, first reported by Golf Digest.
- It is the first time in his professional career he will miss all four majors in one year, and his first missed Open since 2009.
- He cited a family health matter early in the season; the absence also comes amid reported misconduct allegations, which remain unproven.
- Mickelson stays exempt for The Open until age 60, so a return in 2027 remains possible.
Sources: Golf Digest, bunkered, Golfmagic, and the R&A field list.
