Phil Mickelson hit with new misconduct claims again

A new book by sports gambler Billy Walters alleges Phil Mickelson made sports wagers over decades and adds fresh details about alleged sexual misconduct involving Ashley Perez in 2015. Mickelson’s attorney and a spokeswoman deny parts of the claims and argue t

Phil Mickelson’s name is once again at the center of fresh accusations — and this time the allegations stretch beyond sports betting and back into his personal life.

A new book by sports gambler Billy Walters makes allegations about Pro Golfer Phil Mickelson, including wagers he’s made in sports over the past three decades. The book’s claims also include allegations involving Mickelson’s conduct toward Ashley Perez, the wife of former PGA Tour player Pat Perez.

Ashley Perez told a story published by Skratch — a website dedicated to golf lifestyle — that she says involved Mickelson showing her a nude photo and then propositioning her in 2015. Golf reporter Alan Shipnuck wrote the story. which Shipnuck describes as including what he said was “rigorous vetting by two top media attorneys and an ace fact-checker.”.

Perez said the incident took place at The Barclays tournament at Plainfield Country Club in Edison, New Jersey. She and Pat Perez were staying in a villa next door to Mickelson, according to the Skratch story. When Pat Perez left the room. Ashley Perez said Mickelson took out his phone and showed her a full-body naked photo of himself.

“Phil says to me, ‘I’m going to leave my bedroom door open tonight,’” Ashley Perez told the website. “When Pat falls asleep I want you to come see me.’”

The allegation arrives as Mickelson also faces earlier scrutiny tied to sexual misconduct. Golf Digest reported June 11 that a female club employee at an exclusive golf club in the San Diego area accused Mickelson of “nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact.” Mickelson no longer is a member at The Farms Golf Club. according to ESPN. which cited attorney Tom Clare. who is representing Mickelson.

Ashley Perez’s account also depicts what she says was inappropriate behavior years earlier. She reportedly told Skratch that during a dinner on an unspecified date with Pat Perez. Mickelson’s agent. Steve Loy. and Mickelson. the conversation turned “very dark and sexual” because Mickelson kept pushing it in that direction. Ashley Perez said Mickelson was making graphic gestures.

She also told Skratch that she taped a 26-minute phone call in which Mickelson apologized for his behavior. “There is a culture of silence that keeps women from coming forward,” she said.

Perez’s allegation is being framed as part of a wider narrative that Shipnuck wrote about Mickelson. Shipnuck wrote an unauthorized biography about Mickelson published in 2022, and the Skratch story ties his reporting to Perez’s claims.

Mickelson’s representatives rejected the new set of allegations and criticized the way they are being portrayed.

Attorney Tom Clare, who is representing Mickelson, chided the golf media in a statement provided to USA TODAY Sports. Clare said, “A small segment of the golf media has decided that because Mr. Mickelson is a successful golfer. every detail of his private and family life is theirs to exploit.” He added that recycling mistakes Mickelson has already acknowledged as new reporting. and dragging private family matters into public view. is “reckless” and “the pursuit of clicks at the expense of the truth. Do better.”.

Mickelson spokeswoman Jennifer Connelly also responded. saying in a statement provided to USA TODAY Sports that “Some of the allegations circulating about Mr. Mickelson are false. and others revisit mistakes he has already acknowledged. publicly or privately. ” and that putting disputed claims next to claims he has owned “does not make them credible.”.

Connelly said the approach contributes to “a false and misleading narrative. ” and added that “No person. no article. and no book can present an accurate. complete. or personal story of the life Mr. Mickelson and his family have lived.” She continued: “His story. struggles. and recovery belong to him and to the people who have shared it closely alongside him.”.

The spokeswoman emphasized the family’s focus on recovery and private matters. “Recovery is not a straight line. Throughout their 35-year relationship, his wife, Amy Mickelson, has supported Mr. Mickelson and their family with extraordinary grace. unwavering love. and the belief that people are measured not only by their failures. but by what they do to make them right.”.

She said Mickelson’s priority is “to become the husband. father. and man his family deserves. ” and that “Right now. that means giving his full attention to a private family health matter.” Connelly also said Mickelson understands parts of his life are public. but “his family’s private matters are not.”.

The accounts now landing in the public eye — one tied to sexual behavior allegations reported in June and others tied to claims Perez described to Skratch — also overlap with a separate line of reporting about sports betting. A new book by Billy Walters alleges Mickelson spent over $1B on sports betting. alongside the other allegations contained in the reporting.

In the background, Pat Perez and Mickelson were never close but have known each other since they were kids, according to Skratch. Ashley Perez, who reportedly filed for divorce against Pat Perez in 2023, is the central figure in the Skratch account describing the 2015 incident.

For Mickelson. the dispute is now playing out simultaneously on multiple fronts: legal and reputational battles around the club employee allegation reported June 11. and new claims described through a widely circulated golf media narrative. His attorney and spokeswoman have both sought to frame the latest coverage as a mix of disputes and previously acknowledged mistakes.

What happens next may depend as much on how those claims are handled as on what they say — and on whether the competing versions can be reconciled in public, or remain a painful, unresolved conflict between allegations and denials.

Phil Mickelson Ashley Perez Pat Perez Skratch Alan Shipnuck Tom Clare Jennifer Connelly The Barclays Plainfield Country Club The Farms Golf Club Golf Digest sports betting Billy Walters