Phil Mickelson underwent surgery on Oct. 19 to repair a sports hernia, according to a Golf.com report.
The report cites an anonymous source who stated that “the surgery went well.” A sports hernia is a soft tissue injury in the groin or lower abdomen that often results from sudden or repetitive twisting at high speed.
“It was a walnut-sized hernia behind my belly button,” Mickelson told Golf Channel insider Tim Rosaforte. “It was no big deal, nor did it affect me when I played. I pushed it back in every minute or so. I couldn’t work out as intensely as I wanted to, that’s all. It didn’t hurt or affect me. It was just annoying.”
Mickelson, 46, has not played since a T-8 finish at the Safeway Open last month. The typical recovery time for a sports hernia surgery is around six weeks, which should not be a problem for Mickelson given that he was not expected to make another competitive start until the CareerBuilder Challenge in mid-January.
While he did not win in 2016, Mickelson compiled a resurgent season that included a runner-up finish at the Open Championship and a memorable performance at the Ryder Cup. He was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis in 2010 but has maintained a regular competitive schedule in the years since the diagnosis.