Golfer Mickelson under insider trading investigation

According to the New York Times, San Diego golf hero Phil Mickelson is under investigation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Securities and Exchange Commission for a series of well-timed trades in the stock market. Gambler William T. Walters, a Las Vegas hero, considered one of the nation's best sports bettors, is also under investigation, as is billionaire corporate raider Carl Icahn, said the Times.

In one case, Mickelson and Walters made a trade in 2011 in the stock of Clorox, which Icahn was attempting to take over at the time. Authorities are examining whether Icahn leaked details of the bid to Walters. One theory is that Walters may have passed the information to Mickelson. Walters and Mickelson also placed similar trades in 2012 in the stock of Dean Foods. Walters claims he has never met or spoken to Mickelson.

Mickelson, one of the most successful and highest-earning pro athletes, is often rumored to be a swinging gambler on the links. However, some of these charges regularly making the rounds could be apocryphal.