Mickelson denies wrongdoing in reported insider trading probe

By foxsports
Published

DUBLIN, Ohio -- Phil Mickelson had what he called a "good" day on the golf course at the Memorial on Friday.

But, according to reports from the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, one of the world's best and most popular golfers has serious off-course matters to deal with.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday evening that FBI agents met with Mickelson on Thursday at Muirfield Golf Club about a "major" insider-trading probe involving finance, gambling and sports that involves Mickelson, activist investor Carl Icahn and renowned Las Vegas sports bettor William "Billy" Walters.

Icahn and Walters are quoted in the article as either denying any knowledge of a probe or declining to comment.

Mickelson responded to the reports by releasing the following statement early Saturday:

"I have done absolutely nothing wrong, I have cooperated with the government in this investigation and will continue to do so. I wish I could fully discuss this matter, but under the current circumstances it's just not possible."

According to the story, the FBI and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating whether Mickelson and Walters illegally traded on nonpublic information from Icahn about the billionaire's investments in public companies.

Citing anonymous sources, the story said the government probe started three years ago after Icahn accumulated a 9.1 percent stake in Clorox in February 2011. On July 15, 2011, he made a $10.2 billion offer for Clorox that caused the stock to jump.

The story said the investigators later expanded their probe to look at trading patterns by Walters and Mickelson relating to another company, Dean Foods.

Ranked No. 11 in the latest World Golf Rankings, Mickelson birdied his final hole at the Memorial early Friday afternoon to finish at -2 for the day and the tournament. He's 10 shots off the lead but said he's played well except for his closing stretch Thursday, during which he fell from -4 to even par.

The U.S. Open, the only major Mickelson has not won, is two weeks away at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina.

"My game is feeling good," Mickelson said after his Friday round, completed six hours or so before any news related to the probe broke. "I just have some challenges. I'm glad I'm playing this weekend. It will give me two more rounds on a good golf course to build on."