[Photo: Patrick McDermott]
Between Brooks Koepka leaving LIV Golf and Patrick Reed announcing that he won’t return, there’s been a lot of movement and a lack of star power filling the league’s roster this year.
Now, Phil Mickelson won’t play in the first two events of the season. The six-time major champion announced on social media overnight that he will be out a few weeks to deal with an unspecified family health situation.
“I will not be able to participate in the first two LIV events as Amy and I need to be present for a family health matter,” Mickelson wrote. “I can’t wait to compete again and look forward to rejoining my teammates as soon as possible.”
— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) February 1, 2026
Mickelson noted that Ollie Schniederjans would take his place on his HyFlyers squad for the first event at Riyadh in Saudi Arabia this week, when LIV will play its first 72-hole tournament after having a 54-hole format until this season. Next week the league heads to our shores and the Grange Golf Club, yet it was not mentioned who would replace Mickelson in Adelaide.
It was announced in January that reigning NCAA champion Michael La Sasso would join Mickelson’s team in 2026, replacing Andy Ogletree. That means that La Sasso is forfeiting the spring semester of his senior year at the University of Mississippi and giving up his invitation to play in the Masters. Former LIV Golf Adelaide winner Brendan Steele and Cameron Tringale are the other HyFlyers members.
Mickelson has not yet won an individual title during his time with LIV Golf. He finished in third place last year at the league’s event in Hong Kong.
