By Lewis Gould
The Securities and Exchange Commission named Phil Mickelson in a federal insider trading lawsuit, alleging in court documents filed today that the five-time major winner made nearly $1 million via information that was not publicly available.
The complaint named Mickelson among the defendants. Since the case is in civil court, the SEC seeks “all ill-gotten gains in the form of illicit trading profits.”
Billy Walters, a well-known sports gambler who allegedly passed the information to Mickelson in July 2012, Thomas C. Davis, the former head of Dean Foods, along with two companies controlled by Walters were also listed as defendants.
Mickelson, ranked No. 17 in the world, has not won a tournament since capturing the 2013 British Open. While he’s played well in spots this year — a runner-up finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, a fifth-place finish at the WGC-Cadillac Championship and a tie for fourth in the Wells Fargo Championship, he has missed the cut in three of his last four starts, including last week’s Players Championship.
The PGA Tour had no comment on Mickelson.
