US golf star Phil Mickelson will not defend his title at the PGA Championship next week. The organizers announced on Friday that they had been informed that the 51-year-old had withdrawn. The PGA Championship begins Thursday in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Last year, Mickelson had won the tournament on Kiawah Island and at the age of 50 had become the oldest major winner in golf history.
Mickelson is at odds with the PGA Tour, having accused it of “insufferable greed” earlier this year. The PGA Tour recently announced that it would ban players from attending the opening event of the new, rival, multi-million dollar LIV Golf Invitational Series in London. The new league is financed by a consortium from Saudi Arabia. Mickelson has not played since attending the Saudi International in February.