While Phil Mickelson has not had the greatest time on the course since joining LIV Golf, he has proved in the past why it is so dangerous to ever count Lefty out at the very highest level.
Phil Mickelson has long been considered one of the best players of his generation. He is certainly one of the game’s most endearing characters, with many fans clearly still desperate to see what the 54-year-old is going to do – particularly when he lands himself in trouble on the golf course.
It has been some time since Mickelson was at the peak of his powers. His first five majors came between 2004 and 2013. Meanwhile, his most recent win on the PGA Tour came in 2019. And it is hard to see him winning on LIV Golf anytime soon given his results since making the jump.
However, Mickelson is no stranger to shocking the golfing world. And his most recent win saw him secure a piece of history, as he became the oldest major champion of all-time in 2021 as he lifted the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.
Phil Mickelson named the tournament he would probably retire after if he ever won
It was a result which really saw Mickelson roll back the years. But even more than that, the week arguably brought out another side of Mickelson as he posted just one round below 70 all week. However, he was able to silence the doubters who would have suggested that he would not have the discipline to get the job done.
Of course, the one major Mickelson has not yet won in his career is the US Open. He has finished second on six occasions, but the career grand slam continues to elude him.
That indeed did appear to be the final piece in the jigsaw for Mickelson. Speaking on 5 Clubs in 2021, he suggested that he would probably call time on his career if he managed to finally win that US Open.
“It was interesting because I’m actually in all the majors, except the US Open, so the PGA has got me in the next five US Opens let’s say, and gives me opportunities in the coming years. And I look at a few of the Open sites, like Country Club at Brookline where we’re playing next year and think that’s a golf course where length is not going to be as big a factor. There’s a lot of beautiful, intricate holes with a lot of character, but aren’t overwhelming you with power,” he said.
“And so, it’s a golf course I actually feel like I could do well on, and I’ll try to focus and be ready for those events to give me a real shot at trying to ultimately win a US Open, which I’ve never done. That would be the final thing for me. If I were to do that, I would probably retire the next day. I think that would be a great way to go out.”
The love-hate relationship between Mickelson and the US Open
As mentioned, Mickelson’s record at the US Open is almost the most famous part of his major championship record. He has the same number of second place finishes in the US Open as he does in the other three majors combined.
His best shot came at Winged Foot in 2006 when a double bogey on the last saw him throw away the lead. Mickelson labelled himself an ‘idiot’ after missing out that year.
Unfortunately, Mickelson has not finished inside the top 20 at the US Open since finishing second to Justin Rose at Merion in 2013. And he has missed the cut at the event in four of the last five years.
As things stand, Mickelson may be running out of chances to make the field for the US Open. But clearly, it would simply be naive to write off Mickelson’s chances of making further history – perhaps in his final ever event.
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