LA QUINTA, Calif. – Phil Mickelson was born in San Diego, lives in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., and has won 12 of his 44 PGA Tour titles in California, but his days living on the West Coast appear to be nearing an end.
Mickelson confirmed to GolfChannel.com Wednesday at The American Express that his family closed on a lot on Jupiter Island, Fla., on Dec. 23 and he hopes to begin construction soon.
Mickelson, who is the host of this week’s event, said the family’s current plan is to move to Florida after his youngest child, Evan, graduates from high school in a year and a half.
Lefty would join a growing list of Tour players who call South Florida home including Tiger Woods, world No. 1 Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson.
Although Mickelson didn’t offer a reason for his potential move, in 2013 he suggested he might move out of California because of his federal and state tax bill, which he estimated had pushed his tax rate above 60 percent.
“There are going to be some drastic changes for me because I happen to be in that zone that has been targeted both federally and by the state and, you know, it doesn't work for me right now,” he said in 2013. “So I'm going to have to make some changes.”
A week later Mickelson released a statement saying, “finances and taxes are a personal matter, and I should not have made my opinions on them public.”
There is no state income tax in Florida.