Phil Mickelson Absence Marks End of an Era in Golf

Phil Mickelson's absence from major golf events this season marks a significant shift in the sport, as the 15-time major winner and Tiger Woods are absent from the field for the first time in 37 years.

What happened to Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods this season?

The Open Championship is underway at Royal Birkdale, and we have officially entered a new era. Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are the two powerhouses in the field and the two favorites to win the Claret Jug this week. The game has officially moved on from Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Neither is in the field this week, and we've hardly seen either all season long.

Why is Phil Mickelson's absence significant?

Phil Mickelson has only played in one professional event all year, LIV South Africa. He's been embroiled in off-course controversies, and he, too, hasn't taken part in any of the major championships in 2026. This year is the first time that neither Woods nor Mickelson have played in any of the majors since 1989. Mickelson made his major championship debut in 1989, and one of the two old rivals have played in at least one major in every year since.

What comes next for Phil Mickelson?

The 15-time major winner has taken himself away from the sport because of a driving incident weeks earlier, which meant he ruled himself out of The Masters. He hasn't played in a major since the 2024 Open Championship. Meanwhile, Woods, recovering from yet another back surgery, hasn't been in professional action in a number of years, despite appearances on TGL over the winter.

A new era in golf

The game has officially moved on from Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are the two powerhouses in the field and the two favorites to win the Claret Jug this week. The absence of these two superstars, with 21 majors between them, is a significant shift in the sport. It truly is the end of an era, and it's a sad end at that.

Phil Mickelson's record

Before this season, the last time that Mickelson and Woods didn't play in the same major was the 2017 US Open. And this is the first Open Championship that neither have played since 1993, as Mickelson made his Open debut the following year.