Whether the USGA are planning on giving Phil Mickelson a special invite for the 2026 US Open

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Phil Mickelson has already admitted that this week at Oakmont could very well be his last US Open.

Mickelson‘s five-year exemption to play in the US Open expires this year, after his sensational PGA Championship victory at Kiawah Island in 2021.

The 54-year-old could, of course, win any of the four majors to get another five-year exemption at the US Open, and a win at Oakmont this week would obviously get the job done for even longer than that.

However, if that doesn’t happen, Mickelson will have to decide whether to go through qualifying along with everyone else, or to simply give up the chance of ever completing the Grand Slam.

Mickelson was bang in contention to win at LIV Virginia last week, but he fell just short in the end.

At least he’s showing some signs of form heading into the US Open – a championship where he has recorded six runner-up finishes.

Mickelson missed the cut at the US Open the last time it was held at Oakmont nine years ago.

But if he fails to make the weekend once again this year, could that really be the end of his US Open career?

Whether the USGA plan to give Phil Mickelson an invite for the 2026 US Open

There is a lot of talk right now regarding the fact that this year at Oakmont could be the last time we see Mickelson in action at a US Open championship.

Last week, the six-time major champion responded when asked whether 2025 could be his last US Open.

He said, “I haven’t thought about it too much. There’s a high likelihood that it will be, but I haven’t really thought about it too much.“

And on Wednesday, USGA chief championships officer John Bodenhamer responded when asked if Mickelson will be considered for a special exemption for the US Open next year, if he is not otherwise qualified.

He said, “Listen, the answer to that is Phil did receive one in 2021, and I’m a little sleep deprived, but counting my years backwards — it’s like anything; we would review things for Shinnecock ahead of next year and look at all of those possibilities and evaluate it from there.

“I think the way that we would also think of Phil is we hope he earns his way in, and I think he’d tell you the same thing. That’s what he did last time. We gave him one and then he went out and won the PGA Championship. So wouldn’t put it past him.“

Phil Mickelson’s best US Open finishes

Mickelson has endured some heartbreaking near misses in the US Open throughout the years.

Perhaps none more so than at Winged Foot in 2006, when he double bogeyed the final hole to lose to Geoff Ogilvy by one shot.

Here are his best finishes at the US Open throughout his career to date:

So can Mickelson cause a huge shock and win the US Open at Oakmont this year to complete the Grand Slam?

That will be highly unlikely but in golf, anything can happen – he proved that four years ago in the PGA at Kiawah Island, remember!