Golfer Phil Mickelson is accused of showing an explicit, full-body naked photograph of himself to Ashley Perez, the wife of fellow golfer Pat Perez, in 2015. The incident reportedly occurred while Pat Perez was in a restroom, according to a report by Alan Shipnuck for Skratch.
According to the report, Mickelson invited Pat Perez and his then-wife, Ashley, to stay at his villa near Plainfield Country Club in Edison, New Jersey, as they prepared to compete in the PGA Tour's Barclays tournament. While they were drinking wine on the patio, Pat Perez excused himself to use the restroom. Ashley Perez claims that Mickelson then showed her a naked photo of himself with an erection and stated, “I’m going to leave my bedroom door open tonight. When Pat falls asleep I want you to come see me.”
Ashley Perez reportedly objected to Mickelson's advances. Following the tournament, she informed Pat Perez about the incident. Shipnuck reports that Pat Perez subsequently shared the story widely within the golf community, to the point where Mickelson's genitals became an "urban legend on Tour."
Mickelson, who has been married to his wife Amy for 30 years, has since apologized to Pat Perez twice for his alleged behavior. The first apology occurred at the Madison Club in Southern California, and a second took place during a 26-minute phone call in November 2022, after Pat Perez had publicly stated on a podcast that he harbored a "different hate for Phil than most people."
During the phone call, Mickelson reportedly alternated between expressing contrition and claiming he did not recall the specifics of the night. Shipnuck noted that Mickelson suggested he might have only been topless, not fully nude, in the photo he showed Ashley. Mickelson stated, "I can’t tell you how disgusted and embarrassed I am in myself," without directly admitting to the alleged actions.
The Skratch report also mentions earlier allegations from this spring where Mickelson was accused of "nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact" with a female employee at The Farms Golf Club. In that alleged incident, Mickelson reportedly asked "inappropriate questions" about the woman's personal life and propositioned her "in graphic detail."