Phil Mickelson was not "disinvited" from the 2022 Masters at Augusta National, says tournament chairman Fred Ridley.
Mickelson, who won The Masters in 2004, 2006 and 2010, is currently taking a break from golf and not playing at the first men's major of the year amid the fall-out of his comments about the PGA Tour and a rival Saudi-backed circuit.
The 51-year-old, speaking to Alan Shipnuck ahead of the writer's upcoming book on Mickelson, branded the Saudi regime scary but said the proposed league was a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates".
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On the eve of the Masters, Ridley insisted Mickelson's absence was the player's decision.
He said: "We did not disinvite Phil. He is a three-time Masters champion and is invited in that category and many others. He is the defending PGA Champion.
"Phil reached out to me, I think in late February or early March, and let me know he did not intend to play. That was by way of a text.
"I thanked him for his courtesy and told him we certainly appreciated that and that I was willing to discuss that further with him if he liked. He thanked me and we had a very cordial exchange.
"He made a personal decision and I don't know anything beyond that. Phil has been a real fixture here for many, many years and a big part of our history and we certainly wish him the best in working through the issues he has now."
When asked whether players who competed in any Saudi-backed league would lose their invites to The Masters in future, Ridley added: "I would start by saying that our mission is always to act in the best interests of the game in whatever form that may take.
"I think that golf's in a good place right now. There's more participation. Purses on the professional tours are the highest they have ever been. Clubs and courses I think are in healthy financial positions.
"We have been pretty clear in our belief that the world tours have done a great job in promoting the game over the years.
"Beyond that, there's so much that we don't know about what might happen or could happen that I just don't think I could say much more beyond that."
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