LIV Golf make surprise Phil Mickelson announcement ahead of league's first trip to Africa

Phil Mickelson may make an appearance at the first men's major of the year after all. 

The six-time major champion, 55, has missed all four LIV Golf events staged so far in 2026 because of a private family health matter. 

Initially, Mickelson indicated he only expected to miss LIV's curtain-raiser in Saudi Arabia, followed by their second tournament in Australia the following week. 

But withdrawals from their stops in Hong Kong and Singapore fuelled speculation that Mickelson would skip the 2026 Masters at Augusta National because of the situation and lack of competitive reps. 

Mickelson has not played since LIV's 2025 finale last August, though he has filmed and featured in one match on YouTube against Grant Horvat. 

On Monday morning, though, LIV Golf confirmed Mickelson will return to the fold this week in South Africa. 

LIV Golf are staging a tournament in the African content for the very first time. 

The $25m tournament will be played at The Club at Steyn City in Johannesburg. 

"Cap is back", a post from the official HyFlyers' account on X read. 

Ollie Schniederjans and Wade Ormsby have been filling in for Mickelson during his absence.  

Mickelson needs to hit the ground running. Currently, he is bottom of the individual standings. 

Players 49th or below get relegated and there will be no reprieve for Mickelson should he finish the campaign in the drop zone. 

What has Phil Mickelson said?

Phil Mickelson has not given a specific reason for his absence. 

On 1 February, three days before LIV's curtain-raiser in Saudi Arabia, Mickelson released a short statement. 

It read: "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. 

"I can't wait to compete again and look forward to rejoining my teammates as soon as possible. 

"In the meantime, Ollie Schniederjans will step in for me in Riyadh as I root on HyFlyers GC from afar."

This is not the first time Mickelson has spent a notable spell away from competitive golf. 

In 2009, Mickelson put his golf career on pause after his wife Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer. 

The earth-shattering news arrived in May 2009 and he made an emotional return to the course two months later. 

Amy made a full recovery and eventually became an advocate for breast cancer awareness. 

In April 2010, Mickelson won his third Masters title. It was a deeply emotional victory. 

Amy had not attended a tournament to support her husband for 11 months whilst she was undergoing treatment and shared a memorable embrace by the 18th green. 

Mickelson also stepped away from the game entirely in 2022 owing to the fallout from his move to LIV Golf and the controversial comments he made about the league's financiers. 

He skipped several major tournaments, including the Masters and the PGA Championship where he would've been the defending champion. 

In total, his hiatus lasted roughly four months.