Each year, The Masters features the world’s best golfers in competition on one of the game’s most storied courses. This year’s edition will be the 86th to take place since its inception, and the tournament is set to begin on April 7. But based on new reports, it’ll be missing one of the sport’s best-known figures. A new report from Golfshake suggests that Phil Mickelson will be absent from this year’s Masters.
The article cites The Masters’ own website, which features a list of invitees as well as a section labeled “Past Champions Not Playing.” It’s in the latter section that one will find Mickelson’s name, right between Nick Faldo and Gary Player. Sports Illustrated also reported the finding.
Last month, Mickelson announced on social media that he would take a break from the sport. This was preceded by his controversial comments on a Saudi Arabia-backed golf league, Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and the changes he hoped to force within the PGA. His words were, at the time, met with criticism from several of his peers, both implicitly and explicitly.
Mickelson’s likely absence from this year’s Masters prompts a host of other questions, including when he might make his competitive return. But for now, a familiar face in the sport’s highest-profile competitions looks likely to be absent next month at Augusta National.
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