Phil Mickelson came so close to his first ever win on LIV Golf and while it wasn’t to be, he rolled back the years with a quite mesmerising shot to close out his tournament.
After just losing ground in the crucial moments after the rain delay in Virginia, Mickelson found himself a couple back and with nothing to lose when he found the rough at the side of the bunker on 17.
In true Mickelson style, he produced one of the shots of his career as he hooked the ball up and over his shoulder, onto the green, and saw the ball roll in the hole for birdie.
Mickelson’s shot left golf fans stunned with how good it was and speaking to the media afterwards, it seems Mickelson himself was even caught off guard.
Phil Mickelson says his chip on 17 was one of his best ever
We’ve all seen Phil Mickelson produce moments with his short-game over the years that have blown us away.
But even by his standards, this one in Virginia was quite the shot.
Indeed, discussing just how he pulled it off, Mickelson himself admitted that even he was left surprised at the ball actually going in the hole.
“So that was one of my better ones. It was one of my better ones. I don’t know what to say because I have to aim so far left because I’m hooking it over my shoulder and trying to guess how much it’s going to hook is the challenge,” Mickelson admitted.
“But it wasn’t hard stopping it. It was hard guessing how much it was going to hook because it was soft greens and I had such an uphill lie, the ball was going to go high, but just judging how much the ball was going to come over my shoulder, that was the challenge. Even I was a little bit surprised.
“It meant a lot to me because I wanted to finish this round off. I had opportunities to make birdie, and I just had a couple of unfortunate breaks. So to get a good break like that and then to follow it up with a birdie on 18 feels really good.
“Like I said, just having opportunities to compete and win again is what’s so exciting. I would love to have a few more this year and hopefully break through and get one.”
Mickelson also took to social media afterwards to have his say on the replays of his shot, and it’s safe to say he’s pretty happy with things.
Mickelson setting an example for the younger generation
Phil Mickelson can be a bit of a marmite character in terms of his personality and decisions he’s taken off the course over the years.
However, you cannot argue that he is showing the younger generation how it’s done at 54-years-old and still playing to the level he is.
| Major | Best Finish |
| The Masters | 1st (2004, 2006, 2010) |
| PGA Championship | 1st (2005, 2021) |
| US OPen | 2nd (1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2013) |
| Open Championship | 1st (2013) |
Yes, the 54 hole format is easier for Mickelson, as is the staggered nature of the LIV schedule.
But still, to be producing moments like he has done today and showing everyone that he still has the class when it comes to the clutch moments, just shows what a top player he is and has always been.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
