Phil Mickelson Blasts Reporter Over Explosive Report on Misconduct Allegations

(Francisco Seco/AP photo)

Golf legend Phil Mickelson published a scathing statement attacking a journalist over a recent report detailing sexual misconduct allegations.

On Sunday, longtime golf reporter Alan Shipnuck published an explosive article documenting the numerous allegations against Mickelson. The report quoted multiple women accusing Mickelson of making unwanted sexual advances and even displaying behavior that could be considered “grooming.” One of those women who was the ex-wife of fellow golfer Pat Perez, who claimed Mickelson showed her naked full-body photos of himself and asked her to come to his room when Perez was away.

Another woman described Mickelson’s constant advances as feeling like “verbal rape.”

For these alleged acts, Shipnuck claimed Mickelson was kicked out of multiple golf clubs.

On Thursday morning, a spokesperson for Mickelson sent out a lengthy statement attacking Shipnuck and denying the allegations. The statement read:

Shipnuck has spent years attempting to position himself as the definitive authority on Phil Mickelson. This story demonstrates precisely why he is not.

The clearest example is Amy Mickelson. Mrs. Mickelson is not a public figure. She did not choose this spotlight, and there was no legitimate journalistic reason to drag her into it. Shipnuck nevertheless gave anonymous sources a platform to speculate about her marriage, her motives and decisions they had no firsthand knowledge of.

The statement went on to insist that Mickelson has “never been expelled from a golf club” or had his membership revoked.

“Credibility is not earned by publishing the most provocative narrative,” the statement added. “It is earned through transparency, verification, and a clear distinction between fact, inference, and speculation. Those standards protect readers just as much as they protect the people being written about.”

“Readers should demand more. Journalism should, too,” it concluded.

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