Despite having a terrific weekend at the Humana Challenge, Phil Mickelson is considering walking away from golf because of rising federal and California state taxes.

“It’s been an interesting off-season,” Mickelson said Sunday after carding a 6-under 66 at La Quinta Country Club, “and I’m going to have to make some drastic changes.”

Mickelson has suggested that he may move out of the state of California, or possibly retire from golf, because the I.R.S was taking too much money out of his earnings.

“I’m not going to jump the gun, but 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. “So I’m going to have to make some changes.”

Mickelson, who resides in Rancho Santa Fe, appeared to be responding to the first state-wide tax increase since 2004, which California voters approved in November in the form of Proposition 30.

“If you add up all the federal and you look at the disability and the unemployment and the Social Security and the state, my tax rate’s 62, 63 percent,” said Mickelson, who said tax increases and his decision to bow out of a deal to be part-owner of the San Diego Padres were related. “So I’ve got to make some decisions on what I’m going to do.”

Mickelson is flirting with the idea of moving to Canada.

“I’m not sure what exactly, you know, I’m going to do yet,” he said, noting that he would likely have more to say from Torrey Pines at his next major golf outing.

Mickelson happens to be one of the highest paid professional athletes in the U.S… so to see him running for the hills might cause a trend of celebrities in California running from this new tax law.

Andrew Alvez | Elite