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Phil Mickelson believes Anthony Kim should be invited to all four major championships.

Phil Mickelson appears ready to fight back against allegations that he made inappropriate contact with a female employee of his former golf club.

Golf Digest reported this week that a female employee at The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, California, accused Mickelson of inappropriate contact. That led course officials to locate Mickelson during his round, asking him to leave the course. He is no longer welcome at the club, the report noted.

After an initial statement denying the allegations, Mickelson appears to have taken a more aggressive stance, with a lawyer hinting at defamation action.

Phil Mickelson Hints at Legal Action

As The Associated Press noted, the allegations against Mickelson were serious enough that course officials asked the golf legend to immediately leave the premises.

“Golf Digest cited sources in reporting Mickelson approached the woman in the clubhouse and made nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact with her. The woman rejected his advances and reported it to her supervisors,” the report noted. “Officials at The Farms reviewed and investigated, Golf Digest reported, and then confronted Mickelson on the course. Mickelson, 55, was told to leave the premises.”

A spokesperson for Mickelson initially told Golf Digest that the incident was the result of a “misunderstanding,” which the spokesperson claimed had since been resolved.

“Any misunderstanding has been cleared up,” a spokesperson told Golf Digest. “Phil continues to attend to a family health matter and is uncertain when he will be able to return to professional golf.”

Mickelson’s attorney has since claimed there is video of the incident that would exonerate the golfer, hinting that they could pursue civil legal action.

“There is a great deal of misinformation circulating and, while Phil’s full attention is devoted to a private family health matter, he has retained defamation counsel and is determined to hold accountable any publication or individual trafficking in speculation or false rumors,” Mickelson’s attorney, Tom Clare, told Golf Digest.

It was not clear where the video was taken, or exactly what inappropriate conduct Mickelson was accused of committing.

Golf Club Defends Decision to Boot Phil Mickelson

A representative for the golf club defended the decision to cut ties with Mickelson, telling Fox News that it conducted a thorough investigation in compliance with state legal requirements.

“The Farms conducts thorough reviews of all reported matters according to California Law and takes appropriate action when warranted, consistent with our commitment to integrity, excellence and accountability,” the club noted. “To protect the safety and privacy of our staff and members, we are unable to speak further on this matter. We appreciate your understanding.”

Mickelson has spent months off the golf trail, citing an undisclosed family health matter for his absence from LIV. When announcing that he would not compete at the Masters this year, the 55-year-old hinted that his absence could be ongoing, saying that he would miss “an extended period of time as my family continues to navigate a personal health matter.”

Mickelson did not share details on what the health matter entailed, or which member of the family was affected.