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AUGUSTA, Ga. — Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley on Wednesday said the club has nothing to do with Phil Mickelson’s absence at this week’s Masters.
The 51-year-old Mickelson, who’s played in every Masters since 1994 and won the tournament three times, is not in the field this week, related to controversial comments he made about the PGA Tour and his involvement in a Saudi-backed league.
After his comments were published, Mickelson issued a statement apologizing and said he was going to take some time away from the game. So presumably, he’s not at Augusta by his own volition.
There has been speculation, however, that Mickelson was suspended by the PGA Tour or Masters tournament officials didn’t want him at the tournament because it would be a distraction.
On Wednesday, in his annual state of the Masters press conference, Ridley tried to clear the air.
“Well, first, I would like to say we did not disinvite Phil,’’ Ridley said. “Phil is a three-time Masters Champion and is invited in that category and many other categories; he’s the defending PGA Champion.
“Phil reached out to me, I think it was in late February, early March, and let me know that he did not intend to play. That was by way of a text. And I thanked him for his courtesy in letting me know. I told him that we certainly appreciated that and, you know, told him that I was certainly willing to discuss that further with him if he’d like, and he thanked me, and we had a very cordial exchange.’’
Ridley went on to say Mickelson’s message was “certainly not anything we anticipated.’’
“I think in Phil’s case … he made a personal decision, and I don’t really have … I don’t know anything beyond that,’’ he went on. “I know that Phil has been a real fixture here at the Masters for many, many years. He’s been a big part of our history. I certainly and we certainly wish him the best sort of working through the issues he’s dealing with right now.’’
On March 21, some had noticed that Mickelson’s name was no longer listed in this year’s field on the tournament website and he was instead listed under “Past Champions Not Playing.”
Mickelson is the reigning PGA champion and now attention shifts to whether he’ll defend his title next month in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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