Phil Mickelson made golfing history when he won the 2021 PGA Championship, becoming the oldest man to clinch major championship success.
Mickelson emerged victorious at Kiawah Island aged 50, securing a two-shot win at the PGA Championship four years ago.
Huge numbers watched the American complete the stunning feat, which represented his sixth career major win.
Along with his two PGA Championship wins, the veteran has won The Masters three times and The Open Championship once.
Phil Mickelson loved watching Tom Watson at The Open Championship in 2009
Mickelson did his best to analyse his record-breaking title in 2021, but he also admirably offered a nod to his fellow legend Tom Watson.
It was put to Mickelson in his winning press conference: “When we were all younger, you watched Greg Norman and Tom Watson have opportunities in their 50s to win Open Championships back then.
“When you saw those back then, did anything in the back of your mind think that, yeah, you know what, it will be normal competing for major championships when I’m there?”
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Mickelson replied: “I didn’t see why… I mean, I thought the 2009 Open Championship performance by Tom Watson was the greatest… one of the greatest sporting performances, and he hit a perfect second shot, too. He couldn’t land it any better and it still went over.
“It was one of the greatest performances in the sport. And it’s inspiring, yeah, to see people like that do it.
“And I hope that this inspires some to just put in that little extra work, because first of all, there’s no reason why you can’t accomplish your goals at an older age. It just takes a little more work.”
Tom Watson almost became the oldest major winner at The Open Championship
Watson certainly put on a show at The Open Championship in 2009, which ended in a playoff with Stewart Cink at Turnberry Resort.
But the eight-time major winner fell agonisingly short of a memorable success, which at 59 would have made him the oldest ever major winner.
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Instead Cink claimed his only major win to date, with Watson forced to settle for his 1977 victory at the same course.
The American great will, however, still go down as one of the best Open golfers ever, with his five titles behind only the six of Harry Vardon.
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