Earlier this month, Skratch published a story that accused Phil Mickelson of showing a nude photo of himself to a fellow golfer's wife amid other original reports that he had been expelled from a golf club due to alleged misconduct with a female employee.
The five-time major champion obtained defamation counsel to absolve the "false rumors" about his golf club departure, which turned out to be his own voluntary resignation.
Days later, though, the Skratch story spoke to Ashley Perez, the ex-wife of pro golfer Pat, who said Mickelson showed her a picture of himself nude with an erection and flexing his bicep and said she could come to his bedroom after her then-husband fell asleep. Skratch also interviewed other sources for its story who hinted at potential infidelity by Mickelson amid abrupt endings of memberships at other golf clubs.
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A rep for Mickelson, though, said the reporter is perhaps infamous for a "drive-by shooting" style of "anonymously-sourced" stories.
"The clear implication (of the story) is that Mr. Mickelson was forced out of multiple golf clubs. He wasn't. Mr. Mickelson has never been expelled from a golf club. His membership has never been revoked by a golf club," the statement says.
The statement also ripped Shipnuck for citing a source in which Mickelson's wife, Amy, played a role in his departures from clubs.
PHIL MICKELSON ACCUSED OF SHOWING NUDE PHOTO TO PRO GOLFER'S EX-WIFE: 'COME SEE ME'
"That is false. Mr. Mickelson has never been forced by his wife or by any golf club to surrender his membership. Those decisions were his alone..." the statement said. "Instead, the source's personal assumption about her involvement is presented as fact, and that unsupported speculation has since been repeated by other media outlets as though it were established truth. It is not."
Mickelson's spokeswoman also ripped Shipnuck for reporting that a source told him Mickelson would give his phone to "a young man in the pro shop and pay him $500 to drive around the course," so his wife would believe he was playing golf while "tracking his phone" as he had his "secret rendezvous."
"How does the member know all of this? 'The kid from the pro shop told me,'" the story reads.
"Shipnuck attempts to portray an ordinary 'Find My' family feature, used by millions of families every day, as something sinister. It wasn't. Anonymous speculation is presented as meaningful insight when it is nothing more than unsupported opinion," Mickelson's spokeswoman said.
The statement does not deny the allegation that Mickelson showed Ashley Perez a photo of himself but does confirm he "apologize[d] for his conduct." However, that "should not be misconstrued as an admission of every allegation made against him," the spokeswoman said. "Responsible journalism does not amplify the most sensational characterization of a disputed event while minimizing the fact that the allegation itself was challenged."
The statement also warned of potential "corporate" bias, as Skratch was founded by the PGA Tour, and Mickelson has since defected to LIV Golf.
"Taken together, these reporting failures expose an article that prioritizes a compelling, click-bait narrative over an accurate one. Anonymous speculation is elevated over firsthand knowledge. Implication is used where facts fall short. Private family members are falsely drawn into public narratives without evidence. Context that undermines sensational allegations is minimized. Readers are left with conclusions the reporting itself never actually establishes," the statement concludes.
"Credibility is not earned by publishing the most provocative narrative. It is earned through transparency, verification, and a clear distinction between fact, inference, and speculation. Those standards protect readers just as much as they protect the people being written about. Readers should demand more. Journalism should, too."
Mickelson has played in only one LIV event this year and no majors as he attends to a "personal health matter."
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