Golf icon Phil Mickelson has been accused of showing a naked photograph of himself to the wife of fellow professional golfer Pat Perez during a tournament in 2015. The allegation was reported by the outlet Skratch.
Ashley Perez, who was married to Pat from 2014 to 2023, told Skratch that the incident occurred during the 2015 Barclays tournament in New Jersey. She stated that Mickelson invited the couple to his villa, and while Pat was in the restroom, Mickelson allegedly showed Ashley a full-body nude image of himself on his phone. According to Ashley Perez, Mickelson then invited her to his bedroom later that night. She claims she declined his advances and did not immediately inform her husband.
When Pat Perez was eventually told, he confronted Mickelson, who reportedly apologized during a corporate event. Pat Perez later described the incident on Claude Harmon's podcast, stating that Mickelson had crossed an "uncrossable and unforgivable" line. Ashley Perez has reportedly stated she has a recording of a 26-minute phone call between Pat and Mickelson, during which Mickelson allegedly alternated between contrition and claiming to not remember the details. When informed he had shown Ashley a naked photo, Mickelson reportedly asked, "You mean topless?" and said he was "disgusted and embarrassed in myself."
These allegations come amid separate claims of misconduct. Earlier in June, Golf Digest reported that Mickelson was removed as a member of The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, California, following accusations of inappropriate physical contact with a female staff member. Sources indicated that Mickelson was confronted by club officials mid-round and subsequently resigned from the club.
The Skratch report also details an encounter where a woman attending a tournament dinner with Mickelson described him making "inappropriate questions about my personal life and then propositioning me in graphic detail." Ashley Perez also described a separate dinner prior to the nude photo incident where she claimed Mickelson steered the conversation to "very dark and sexual" topics and made graphic gestures.
A spokeswoman for Mickelson stated to Skratch, "Some of the allegations circulating about Mr Mickelson are false, and others revisit mistakes he has already acknowledged, publicly or privately. Recovery is not a straight line. Mr Mickelson's priority is to become the husband, father, and man his family deserves."
Mickelson has not competed since March, citing a private family health matter. He missed the Masters and the PGA Championship. His attorney, Tom Clare, issued a statement calling the reporting "reckless" and "the pursuit of clicks at the expense of the truth."