The Masters 2026 will have a notable absence. Phil Mickelson will not be at Augusta National and joins the already announced absence of Tiger Woods. For the first time in more than three decades, the tournament will be played without two of its major protagonists.
Mickelson, three-time Masters champion, has announced on his social media that he will not compete next week for personal reasons. “Unfortunately, I will not play the Masters next week and I will be away for an extended period while my family continues to face a health issue,” he said in a statement.
On the sporting side, he arrived with little activity, as his last tournament was on the LIV Golf circuit, two weeks ago in South Africa, where he finished T-48. Before that, he had not competed in 2026, and everything points to the same family problems that keep him away from Augusta this week.
The American, 54, also underlined the special significance the tournament holds for him: “I have great respect for Augusta National and it is, without doubt, the most special week of the year. I wish everyone the best of luck and I will be watching”.
From the club, its president, Fred Ridley, has shown institutional backing: Mickelson has the “full support” of Augusta National while he remains with his family.
Mickelson has played the Masters continuously since 1995 — with the only exception of 2022, when he took a voluntary break — and has accumulated 16 top-10s in 30 appearances, as well as his three Green Jackets (2004, 2006 and 2010).
His absence breaks a long and successful run in the tournament. The fact that really underlines the scale of this news is that the Masters 2026 will be the first since 1994 in which neither Mickelson nor Woods will participate. More than 30 years of continuity are broken this year in Augusta. End of an era?
