Ex-wife of Pat Perez accuses Phil Mickelson of lewd behavior, including propositioning her for sex in 2015

Ashley Perez, ex-wife of professional golfer Pat Perez, detailed a 2015 incident with Phil Mickelson to Skratch's Alan Shipnuck recently in which Mickelson allegedly showed Perez a fully-body nude photo of himself and asked her to "come see me" later that night after Pat fell asleep. 

According to Ashley Perez, Mickelson reached out to her prior to the 2015 Barclays Championship to suggest she and Pat stay at his villa at Liberty National Golf Club for the tournament. After dinner one night, they were drinking wine together on the balcony when Mickelson made the advance. 

When Pat excused himself to use the restroom, Ashley says Mickelson took out his phone and showed her a full-body picture of himself naked with an erection while flexing one bicep. Claims Ashley, "Phil says to me, 'I'm going to leave my bedroom door open tonight. When Pat falls asleep I want you to come see me.'"

She demurred, and did not say anything to her husband when he returned from the restroom. "We were staying next door to Phil," she says, "and Pat still had to play in the tournament. I didn't want it to get messy." She told Pat about the photo at the conclusion of the tournament. He did not confront Mickelson directly but, over time, Pat told so many folks about what had allegedly happened -- and they in turn told so many other people -- that Mickelson's genitals became an urban legend on Tour. Mickelson ultimately apologized to Pat during a corporate outing at the Madison Club in La Quinta, California.

Mickelson would also apologize again to Pat in a lengthy phone call that Ashley Perez recorded and allowed Shipnuck to listen to, corroborating the story. Perez's story is the latest in a growing number of examples of Mickelson's lewd behavior becoming public, as the once-beloved golfer finds himself becoming ostracized in the golf community. 

Shortly before the 2026 U.S. Open, a report emerged that Phil Mickelson lost his membership at The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, California earlier this year for "non-consensual, inappropriate" behavior with a female employee. Shipnuck revealed Mickelson left two other clubs in the area in recent years, the Madison Club and The Bridges, and detailed other examples of Mickelson propositioning women or acting inappropriately. 

The Perez example in particular is unique because it's the first of these stories to include someone going on record to discuss Mickelson's behavior with their name behind it. As Perez told Shipnuck, the reason she wanted to go public with that story was to encourage other women not to be afraid of sharing their own experiences with powerful men. 

"There is a culture of silence that keeps women from coming forward," Ashley said. "I want to give other women the courage to share their truth. With Phil, I feel like the pattern has been there for many years but people have been afraid to go public because it's Phil Mickelson. We give these golfers so much adulation and money, they think they're gods. They think they're untouchable. Being a pro athlete doesn't exempt you from behaving respectfully in society. With Phil, you're dealing with an egotistical narcissist. I know the type -- I used to be married to one. Phil will keep going until he gets caught. Actually, it takes more than that. If Phil's behavior is ever going to change, he has to understand the trauma he has caused so many people in so many parts of his life."

Mickelson's attorney Tom Clare issued a statement to Skratch insinuating some claims were false while others were things Mickelson has already addressed -- without detailing which fell into each category. 

"Some of the allegations circulating about Mr. Mickelson are false, and others revisit mistakes he has already acknowledged, publicly or privately," Clare said. "Stacking the disputed claims next to the ones he has owned does not make them credible. It instead contributes to a false and misleading narrative. No person, no article, and no book can present an accurate, complete, or personal story of the life Mr. Mickelson and his family have lived. His story, struggles, and recovery belong to him and to the people who have shared it closely alongside him.

"Recovery is not a straight line. Throughout their 35-year relationship, his wife, Amy Mickelson, has supported Mr. Mickelson and their family with extraordinary grace, unwavering love, and the belief that people are measured not only by their failures, but by what they do to make them right. Mr. Mickelson's priority is to become the husband, father, and man his family deserves. Right now, that means giving his full attention to a private family health matter. He understands that parts of his life are public, but his family's private matters are not."

Mickelson has played in just one professional event this season, finishing T48 at LIV Golf South Africa in March. He's cited a family health matter as the reason for his absence from LIV Golf, the Masters and PGA Championship where he had exemptions as a past champion. After opting not to try qualifying for the U.S. Open, his status for the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale is in doubt, but if he doesn't play it will be the first year since 1989 he has not appeared in at least one major championship.