Bryson DeChambeau is in line to return to the PGA Tour next week. Phil Mickelson is not.
DeChambeau, who hasn’t played since missing the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January, is in the field for next week’s Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
Mickelson, who has been heavily criticized for his comments about the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabian financial backers of a proposed breakaway circuit, also hasn’t played since missing the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open.
DeChambeau withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational, an event he won last year, on Monday, citing his ongoing recovery from a lingering left hand injury.
DeChambeau, 28, has competed in only two official PGA Tour events this season, finishing tied for 25th at the Sentry Tournament of Champions before missing the weekend at the Farmers. He is 196th in the FedEx Cup standings.
DeChambeau withdrew from the second round of the Saudi International in February because of left hand and left hip injuries after shooting 3-over 73 in the first round. He later said he was hurt in a fall earlier that week.
As for Mickelson, this will be just his third missed Players Championship since turning pro; he previously skipped the 1994 and 2003 events.
Author Alan Shipnuck released an excerpt from his upcoming unauthorized biography of Mickelson two weeks ago. In it, Mickelson described the Saudis as “scary” but said he was looking past their controversial history of human rights violations to gain leverage with the PGA Tour.
In a statement last week, Mickelson said he was taking time away from golf “to prioritize the ones he loves most and to work on being the man he wants to be.”
Mickelson’s comments caused his longtime sponsors, Amstel Light, KPMG and Workday to end their relationship with him. Callaway, which signed him to a contract in 2017 for the rest of his career, also paused its sponsorship with the six-time major champion.