Phil Mickelson was absent from LIV Golfâs New York event at Bedminster, but former world No. 1 Lee Westwood had a message for the 56-year-old six-time major winner.
Mickelsonâs absence left a notable name missing from the field, and Westwoodâs comments offered an intriguing perspective on his fellow LIV veteran, even if Westwood managed to say very little of any meaning.
Lee Westwood Addresses Phil Mickelson’s Absence
GettyLee Westwood looks on from the 10th green during day three of LIV Golf New York at Trump National Golf Club on Aug. 8, 2026 in Bedminster, New Jersey.
A reporter asked Westwood directly this week what it’s been like without Mickelson around, in comments captured on video and shared in a clip posted online by a reporter. Westwood said he hadn’t been in touch with his longtime rival personally, but he appeared to send a message about the extent to which the LIV Golf league misses its biggest-name attraction.
“Phil’s a big draw. He has a lot of fans, so he would attract more fans to any tournament he played in. There are certain people over the years who move the needle, and Philâs one of them,” Westwood said.
It isn’t the first time Westwood has publicly name-checked his fellow LIV veteran. Back in September 2025, Westwood floated Mickelson as a future Ryder Cup captain in a lighthearted social media post, according to The Golfing Gazette, well before this year’s extended silence set in.
This week’s exchange carried a different tone, colored by a season in which Mickelson’s name has come up more for what he’s not doing on the course than for what he is.
Westwood, 53, remains one of LIV’s most durable veterans and has shared a locker room with Mickelson for years. He didn’t offer details beyond the obvious, namely that Bedminster felt less consequential without its biggest draw.
Mickelson’s Missed Majors and Mounting Questions
Mickelson’s absence traces back to a family health matter involving his wife, Amy, first cited ahead of LIV’s season-opening events in Saudi Arabia, according to a report from Golf Digest’s Joel Beall. He withdrew from Riyadh, Adelaide, Hong Kong and Singapore before making his lone 2026 start in South Africa, a tie for 48th, based on his own player page on LIV Golf’s site. He then sat out Mexico City, Virginia, Korea, AndalucÃa, the United Kingdom stop and this weekend’s New York event.
The layoff bled into the majors. Mickelson missed the Masters, withdrew from the PGA Championship and wasn’t handed a special exemption into the U.S. Open. He moved to the non-playing exempt list for the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, marking the first time in his career he sat out all four in one year.
The quiet stretch has coincided with a separate Golf Digest story reporting Mickelson is no longer a member of his hometown San Diego club, following allegations from a female employee of unwanted contact.
“Phil continues to attend to a family health matter,” a spokesperson said in a statement, adding that he remains uncertain when he’ll return to competition. Mickelson’s attorney separately pushed back, describing much of the coverage as speculation the golfer intends to hold accountable.
Westwood, for his part, still had plenty left in the tank at Bedminster. He bogeyed the final hole to slip into a tie for third at 9-under alongside Scott Vincent, according to a tournament recap on LIV Golf’s site.
Joaquin Niemann went wire-to-wire to win at 16-under 268, a three-shot victory over Harold Varner III, per a recap from The Boston Globe.
Jon Rahm shot 76 to tie for 41st, yet still clinched a third straight season points title, while Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC took the team crown. DeChambeau couldn’t catch Rahm in the standings, with only one individual event left on the 2026 calendar.
Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC teammates have said they hope to see him back before the season ends, though none has offered a timetable.
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