Phil Mickelson will certainly go down as one of the most talented players the game of golf has ever seen, with Lefty able to attract fans like few others who have reached the highest levels of the sport.
While Phil Mickelson has become a much more divisive figure in recent years, there is no doubt at all that the 54-year-old spent much of his career as one of the most popular players the game had. He was also arguably the most consistent rival of Tiger Woods‘ career.
Mickelson won six major titles, breaking the record for becoming the oldest major champion ever when he won the PGA Championship in 2021. Meanwhile, he has finished second at the US Open – the one major which has eluded him – on six occasions during his career.
In fact, Mickelson would finish as a runner-up in the majors on 12 occasions. But perhaps it is fair to say that one of those events was considerably more remarkable than any other.
Phil Mickelson names the one golfer who beat him at his ‘absolute best’
Mickelson has missed the cut at The Open Championship more often than at any other major. In fact, for many years, it was widely felt that he simply did not have a game to win on the links courses on The Open rota.
That changed in 2013 when he won at Muirfield – finishing three shots clear of Henrik Stenson. But the Swede would get his revenge three years later at Royal Troon.
The Sunday showdown between Stenson and Mickelson is one of the all-time great duels in golfing history. The pair went into the final round at least five shots clear of third place, and that gap only widened over the final 18 holes.
Ultimately, it was Stenson who won as he posted a 63. Mickelson meanwhile, shot a 65 to finish three shots behind. But the margin of victory does not do justice to the drama which unfolded that day in South Ayrshire.
And speaking on Mickelson’s YouTube channel, John Daly claimed that it was the greatest day of major championship golf he has seen, before the LIV Golf star shared what was so unique about that tournament.
“So everybody talks about the greatest Opens or championships, like Nicklaus had 70-something seconds, but the greatest major I’ve ever witnessed was when you and Stenson were going at it, and you played your a– off. What did you shoot the last round? 65 and got beat? That was probably one of the greatest majors I’ve ever seen in my life, because you guys were duelling it out because you guys were so far ahead of everybody. To see that, I would say was probably the major that anybody else besides him, you would have won by 12 or 15 shots,” Daly said.
“Third place I think was 11 or 12 behind, JB Holmes, and we had pulled away a lot. It was the only time I can remember playing my absolute best golf and not having it be enough. Even with Tiger around, if I played my absolute best golf, I ended up winning. There wasn’t a time where I felt like I played better than I ever could. But I certainly did that week, and I got beat. That was an interesting one,” Mickelson replied.
Mickelson had the slight edge over Tiger Woods when the pair would finish first and second
Tiger Woods and Mickelson did not duel as often the golfing public would have liked. They were often placed on either sides of the draw over the first two days at tournaments so fans would have reason to stay all day – and also so all of the fans were not following just one group.
Obviously, Woods has been the more successful on the course. He has won nine more majors, while the 49-year-old is tied for the most victories in PGA Tour history.
But when it comes to one finishing first while the other finishes second, it is actually Mickelson who has the slight edge. Mickelson emerged victorious in five of their nine one-twos. He also beat Woods in the first edition of The Match, winning $9 million – not that that counts for a great deal when it comes to their legacies.
You can understand Mickelson’s view of the quality of the golf he played that day at Troon more than eight years ago. There is an argument that it is one of the finest rounds to ever be played which has not been rewarded with a victory.
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