Earlier this month, Skratch published a story accusing professional golfer Phil Mickelson of showing a nude photo of himself to a fellow golfer's wife and suggested he had been expelled from a golf club due to alleged misconduct with a female employee. Mickelson, a five-time major champion, retained defamation counsel to refute these claims, clarifying that his departure from the golf club was voluntary.

The Skratch report later included statements from Ashley Perez, ex-wife of pro golfer Pat Perez, who alleged Mickelson showed her a nude photo of himself with an erection and invited her to his bedroom after her then-husband fell asleep. The story also hinted at potential infidelity and abrupt membership terminations at other golf clubs.

Mickelson's team strongly criticized the reporting style, labeling it a "drive-by shooting" approach reliant on anonymous sources. His spokeswoman highlighted corporate bias, noting Skratch's founding ties to the PGA Tour, from which Mickelson has since defected to LIV Golf.

The spokeswoman also challenged a claim reported by Shipnuck that Mickelson paid a young man in the pro shop $500 to drive around the course with his phone to mislead his wife about his whereabouts during alleged secret meetings.

While the statement did not deny the allegation that Mickelson showed Perez a nude photo, it confirmed he "apologize[d] for his conduct," cautioning that this should not be interpreted as an admission of all allegations against him.

Mickelson's team further denied that he was ever forced to surrender any golf club memberships, stating these decisions were made by Mickelson alone and that he has never been expelled or had his membership revoked by any club.

Phil Mickelson continues to compete, including appearances at events such as the LIV Golf South Africa tournament at The Club at Steyn City and the BMW Championship at Medinah Country Club.

Sources