| Phil Mickelson | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Mickelson at the2018 U.S. Open atShinnecock Hills | |||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Full name | Philip Alfred Mickelson | ||||||
| Nickname | Lefty | ||||||
| Born | (1970-06-16)June 16, 1970 (age 55) San Diego, California, U.S. | ||||||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)[1] | ||||||
| Weight | 201 lb (91 kg; 14.4 st) | ||||||
| Sporting nationality |  United States | ||||||
| Spouse | |||||||
| Children | 3 | ||||||
| Career | |||||||
| College | Arizona State University | ||||||
| Turned professional | 1992 | ||||||
| Current tour | LIV Golf | ||||||
| Former tours | PGA Tour PGA Tour Champions | ||||||
| Professional wins | 57 | ||||||
| Highestranking | 2 (February 11, 2001)[2] | ||||||
| Number of wins by tour | |||||||
| PGA Tour | 45 (8th all time) | ||||||
| European Tour | 11 | ||||||
| Challenge Tour | 1 | ||||||
| PGA Tour Champions | 4 | ||||||
| Other | 4 | ||||||
| Best results in major championships (wins:6) | |||||||
| Masters Tournament | Won:2004,2006,2010 | ||||||
| PGA Championship | Won:2005,2021 | ||||||
| U.S. Open | 2nd/T2:1999,2002,2004,2006,2009,2013 | ||||||
| The Open Championship | Won:2013 | ||||||
| Achievements and awards | |||||||
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| Signature | |||||||
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Philip Alfred Mickelson (born June 16, 1970) is an American professionalgolfer who currently plays in theLIV Golf League. He has won 45 events on thePGA Tour, including sixmajor championships: threeMasters titles (2004,2006,2010), twoPGA Championships (2005,2021),[3] and oneOpen Championship (2013).[4] With his win at the2021 PGA Championship, Mickelson became the oldest major championship winner in history at the age of 50 years, 11 months, and 7 days.[5] He is nicknamed "Lefty", as he playsleft-handed.
Mickelson is one of 17 players in the history of golf to win at least three of the four majors.[6] He has won every major except theU.S. Open, in which he has finished runner-up a record six times.[7] In 2022, Mickelson became the only golfer who has won 3 (or more) of the 4 majors to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour, leaving his PGA Tour membership of 30 years.
Mickelson has spent more than 25 consecutive years in the top 50 of theOfficial World Golf Ranking.[8] He has spentover 700 weeks in the top 10,[9] has reached a career-high world ranking of No. 2 several times and is a life member of the PGA Tour. Although naturally right-handed, he is known for his left-handed swing, having learned it by mirroring his right-handed father's swing.[1] He was inducted into theWorld Golf Hall of Fame in 2012.[10]
Philip Alfred Mickelson was born on June 16, 1970, inSan Diego, California,[11] to parents Philip Mickelson Sr., anairlinepilot and formernaval aviator,[12] and Mary Santos.[13] He was raised there and inScottsdale, Arizona. Mickelson has Portuguese, Swedish, and Sicilian ancestry.[14] His maternal grandfather, Alfred Santos (also Mickelson's middle name) was acaddie atPebble Beach Golf Links and took Phil to play golf as a child.[14]
Although otherwise right-handed, he played golf left-handed since he learned by watching his right-handed father swing, mirroring his style.[1] Mickelson began golf under his father's instruction before starting school. Phil Sr.'s work schedule as a commercial pilot allowed them to play together several times a week and young Phil honed his creative short game on an extensive practice area in their San Diego backyard.[12] Mickelson graduated from theUniversity of San Diego High School in 1988.[15][16]
Mickelson attendedArizona State University inTempe on a golfscholarship and became the face of amateur golf in the United States; he captured threeNCAA individual championships and threeHaskins Awards (1990, 1991, 1992) as the outstanding collegiate golfer. With three individual NCAA championships, he shares the record for most individual NCAA championships alongsideBen Crenshaw. Mickelson also led theSun Devils to the NCAA team title in 1990. Over the course of his collegiate career, he won 16 tournaments.[17]
Mickelson was the second collegiate golfer to earn first-teamAll-American honors all four years. In 1990, he also became the first with a left-handed swing to win theU.S. Amateur title, defeating high school teammate Manny Zerman 5 and 4 in the 36-hole final atCherry Hills, south ofDenver.[18] Mickelson secured perhaps his greatest achievement as an amateur in January 1991, winning his firstPGA Tour event, theNorthern Telecom Open, inTucson,[19][20] making him one of the few golfers towin a PGA Tour event as an amateur in the history of the PGA Tour. At age 20, he was only the sixth amateur to win a tour event and the first in over five years afterScott Verplank at theWestern Open in August 1985. Other players to accomplish this feat includeDoug Sanders (1956Canadian Open) andGene Littler (1954San Diego Open).[21] With five holes remaining, Mickelson led by a stroke, but made a triple-bogey and was then three strokes behind. The leaders ahead of him then stumbled, and he birdied 16 and 18 to win by a stroke.[19] It was the most recent win by an amateur at a PGA Tour event until 2024, atThe American Express, withNick Dunlap taking the title.[22]
That April, Mickelson was the low amateur at theMasters Tournament inAugusta, Georgia. With his two-year PGA Tour exemption from the Tucson win, he played in several tour events in1992 while an amateur but failed to make a cut.
Mickelson graduated from ASU in June 1992 and quickly turned professional. He bypassed the tour's qualifying process (Q-School) because of his 1991 win in Tucson, which earned him a two-year exemption. In1992, Mickelson hiredJim "Bones" Mackay[23] as his caddy. He won many PGA Tour tournaments during this period, including theByron Nelson Golf Classic and theWorld Series of Golf in1996,[24] theAT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in1998, theColonial National Invitation in2000, and theGreater Hartford Open in2001 and again in2002.
He appeared as himself in a non-speaking role in the 1996 filmTin Cup, starringKevin Costner. His 2000Buick Invitational win endedTiger Woods's streak of six consecutive victories on the PGA Tour. After the win, Mickelson said, "I didn't want to be the bad guy. I wasn't trying to end the streak per se. I was just trying to win the golf tournament."[25] Although he had performed very well in the majors up to the end of the2003 season (17 top-ten finishes, and six second- or third-place finishes between 1999 and 2003), Mickelson's inability to win any of them led to him frequently being described as the "best player never to win a major".[26]
Mickelson's firstmajor championship win came in his thirteenth year on the PGA Tour in2004, when he secured victory in theMasters with an 18-foot (5.5 m) birdie putt on the final hole.Ernie Els was the runner-up at a stroke back; the two played in different pairs in the final round and had traded birdies and eagles on the back nine.[27] In addition to getting the "majors monkey" off his back, Mickelson was now only the third golfer with a left-handed swing to win a major; the others beingNew ZealanderSir Bob Charles, who wonThe Open Championship in1963, andCanadianMike Weir, who won The Masters in2003. All three are naturally right-handed but play left-handed, A fourth left-handed winner is natural southpawBubba Watson, the Masters champion in2012 and2014.
Prior to theRyder Cup in2004, Mickelson was dropped from his long-standing contract withTitleist/Acushnet Golf after an incident when he left a voicemail message for aCallaway Golf executive. In it, he praised their driver and golf ball and thanked them for their help in getting some equipment for his brother. This message was played to all of their salesmen, and eventually found its way back to Titleist. He was then let out of his multi-year deal with Titleist 16 months early and signed on with Callaway Golf. He endured a great deal of ridicule and scrutiny from the press and fellow Ryder Cup members for his equipment change so close to the Ryder Cup matches. He faltered at the 2004 Ryder Cup with a1-3-0 record but refused to blame the sudden change in equipment or his practice methods for his performance.[28]
In November 2004, Mickelson tallied his career-low for an 18-hole round: a 59 at thePGA Grand Slam of Golf at Poipu Bay Golf Course inHawaii. Thefollowing year, Mickelson captured his second major at thePGA Championship atBaltusrol in a Monday final-round conclusion due to inclement weather the previous day. On the 18th hole, Mickelson hit one of his trademark soft pitches from deep greenside rough to within 18 inches (460 mm) of the cup and made his birdie to finish at a 4-under-par total of 276, one shot ahead ofSteve Elkington andThomas Bjørn. Mickelson captured his third major title thefollowing spring at theMasters. He won his second green jacket after shooting a 3-under-par final round, winning by two strokes over runner-upTim Clark.[29] This win propelled him to 2nd place in theOfficial World Golf Ranking (his career best), behind Woods, and ahead ofVijay Singh andRetief Goosen.
After winning two majors in a row heading into theU.S. Open atWinged Foot, Mickelson was bidding to joinBen Hogan andTiger Woods as the only players to win three consecutive majors (not necessarily in the same calendar year). Mickelson was the joint leader going into the final round, but he was part of a wild finish to the tournament, in which he made major mistakes on the final hole and ended up in a tie for second place at +6 (286), one shot behindGeoff Ogilvy.
Mickelson bogeyed the 16th hole. On the 17th hole, with the lead at +4, he missed the fairway to the left, and his drive finished inside a garbage can, from which he was granted a free drop; he parred the hole. He had a one-shot lead and was in the last group going into the final hole.
Needing a par on the 18th hole for a one-shot victory, Mickelson continued with his aggressive style of play and chose to hit a driver off the tee; he hit his shot well left of the fairway (he had hit only two of thirteen fairways previously in the round). The ball bounced off a corporate hospitality tent and settled in an area of trampled-down grass that was enclosed with trees. He decided to go for the green with his second shot, rather than play it safe and pitch out into the fairway. His ball then hit a tree and did not advance more than 50 yards (46 m). His next shot plugged into the left greenside bunker. He was unable to get up and down from there, resulting in a double bogey and costing him a chance of winning the championship outright or getting into an 18-hole playoff with Ogilvy.[30]
After his disappointing finish, Mickelson said: "I'm still in shock. I still can't believe I did that. This one hurts more than any tournament because I had it won. Congratulations to Geoff Ogilvy on some great play. I want to thank all the people that supported me. The only thing I can say is I'm sorry."[31] He was even more candid when he said: "I just can't believe I did that. I'm such an idiot."[32][33]
During the third round of the 2006Ford Championship at Doral, Mickelson gave a spectator $200 after his wayward tee shot at the par-5 10th broke the man's watch.[34] Mickelson also has shown other signs of appreciation. In 2007 after hearing the story of retired NFL player,Conrad Dobler, and his family onESPN explaining their struggles to pay medical bills, Mickelson volunteered to pay tuition for Holli Dobler, Conrad Dobler's daughter, atMiami University inOxford, Ohio.[35]
Frustrated with his driving accuracy, Mickelson made the decision in April 2007 to leave longtime swing coach, Rick Smith. He then began working withButch Harmon, a former coach ofTiger Woods andGreg Norman. On May 13, Mickelson came from a stroke back on the final round to shoot a three-under 69 to winThe Players Championship with an 11-under-par 277.
In theU.S. Open atOakmont in June, Mickelson missed the cut (by a stroke) for the first time in 31 majors after shooting 11 over par for 36 holes. He had been hampered by a wrist injury that was incurred while practicing in the thick rough at Oakmont a few weeks before the tournament.
On September 3, 2007, Mickelson won theDeutsche Bank Championship, which is the secondFedEx Cup playoff event. On the final day, he was paired with Tiger Woods, who ended up finishing two strokes behind Mickelson in a tie for second. It was the first time that Mickelson was able to beat Woods while the two stars were paired together on the final day of a tournament. The next day Mickelson announced that he would not be competing in the third FedEx Cup playoff event. The day before his withdrawal, Mickelson said during a television interview that PGA Tour Commissioner,Tim Finchem, had not responded to advice he had given him on undisclosed issues.[36]
In 2008, Mickelson won theCrowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial with a −14, one shot ahead ofTim Clark andRod Pampling. Mickelson shot a first-round 65 to start off the tournament at −5. He ended the day tied withBrett Wetterich, two shots behind leader,Johnson Wagner.[37] Mickelson shot a second-round 68, and the third round 65, overall, being −12 for the first three rounds.[38] On the final hole, after an absolutely horrendous tee shot, he was in thick rough with trees in his way. Many players would have punched out and taken their chances at making par from the fairway with a good wedge shot. Instead, Mickelson pulled out a high-lofted wedge and hit his approach shot over a tree, landing on the green where he one-putted for the win.[39]
In aMen's Vogue article, Mickelson recounted his effort to lose twenty pounds (9.1 kg) with the help of trainer Sean Cochran. "Once the younger players started to come on tour, he realized that he had to start working out to maintain longevity in his career," Cochran said.[40] Mickelson's regimen consisted of increasing flexibility and power, eating five smaller meals a day, aerobic training, and carrying his own golf bag.[41]
Mickelson was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.[42]
Mickelson won his first2009 tour event when he defended his title at theNorthern Trust Open atRiviera, one stroke ahead ofSteve Stricker. The victory was Mickelson's 35th on tour; he surpassedVijay Singh for second place on the current PGA Tour wins list. A month later, he won his 36th, and his firstWorld Golf Championship, at theWGC-CA Championship with a one-stroke win overNick Watney.
On May 20, it was announced that his wife Amy was diagnosed withbreast cancer, and Mickelson announced that he would suspend his PGA Tour schedule indefinitely. She would begin treatment with major surgery as early as the following two weeks. Mickelson was scheduled to play theHP Byron Nelson Championship May 21–24, and to defend his title May 28–31 at theCrowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, but withdrew from both events.[43] During the final round of the 2009BMW PGA Championship, fellow golfer and family friendJohn Daly wore bright pink trousers in support of Mickelson's wife.[44] Also, the next Saturday, at theCrowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, a "Pink Out" event was hosted, and the PGA Tour players all wore pink that day, to support the Mickelson family.
On May 31, Mickelson announced that he would return to play on the PGA Tour in June at theSt. Jude Classic and theU.S. Open, since he had heard from the doctors treating his wife that her cancer had been detected in an early stage.[45] Mickelson shot a final round 70 at the2009 U.S. Open and recorded his fifth runner-up finish at theU.S. Open. He shared the lead after an eagle at the 13th hole, but fell back with bogeys on 15 and 17;Lucas Glover captured the championship.
On July 6, it was announced that his mother Mary was diagnosed with breast cancer and would have surgery at the same hospital where his wife was treated.[46] After hearing the news that his mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer, Mickelson took another leave of absence from the tour, missingThe Open Championship atTurnberry. On July 28, Mickelson announced he would return in August at theWGC-Bridgestone Invitational, the week before thePGA Championship atHazeltine National Golf Club.
In September, Mickelson wonThe Tour Championship for the second time in his career. He entered the final round four strokes off the lead, but shot a final round 65 to win the event by three strokes overTiger Woods.[47] With the win, Mickelson finished the season second behind Woods in the 2009FedEx Cup standings.[48]
On November 8, Mickelson won theWGC-HSBC Champions by one shot overErnie Els inShanghai.[49]
In2010, Mickelson won theMasters Tournament on April 11 with a 16-under-par performance, giving him a three-stroke win overLee Westwood. The win marked the third Masters victory for Mickelson and his fourth major championship overall.[50] Critical to Mickelson's win was a dramatic run in the third round on Saturday in which Mickelson, trailing leader Westwood by five strokes as he prepared his approach shot to the 13th green, proceeded to make eagle, then to hole-out for eagle from 141 yards at the next hole, the par-4 14th, then on the next, the par-5 15th, to miss eagle from 81 yards by mere inches. After tapping in for birdie at 15, Mickelson, at −12, led Westwood, at −11, who had bogeyed the 12th hole and failed to capitalize on the par-5 13th, settling for par.
Westwood recaptured a one-stroke lead by the end of the round, but the momentum carried forward for Mickelson into round 4, where he posted a bogey-free 67 to Westwood's 71. No other pursuer was able to keep pace to the end, thoughK. J. Choi andAnthony Kim made notable charges. For good measure, Mickelson birdied the final hole and memorably greeted his waiting wife, Amy, with a prolonged hug and kiss.[51]
For many fans, Mickelson's finish in the tournament was especially poignant, given that Amy had been suffering from breast cancer during the preceding year. Mary Mickelson, Phil's mother, was also dealing with cancer. CBS Sports announcerJim Nantz's call of the final birdie putt, "That's a win for the family," was seen by many as capturing the moment well.[52]
Tiger Woods had a dramatic return to competitive play after a scandal-ridden 20-week absence; he was in close contention throughout for the lead and finished tied with Choi for 4th at −11. Mickelson and others showed exciting play over the weekend, and the 2010 Masters had strong television ratings in the United States, ranking third all-time to Woods's historic wins in 1997 and 2001.[53] Mickelson's win left him second only to Woods in major championships among his competitive contemporaries, moving him ahead ofErnie Els,Vijay Singh, andPádraig Harrington, with three major championships each.
Mickelson, one of the favorites for theU.S. Open atPebble Beach, shot 75 and 66 on Thursday and Friday to sit two shots off the lead. However, two weekend scores of 73 gave him a T4 finish. During the remainder of the 2010 season, Mickelson had multiple opportunities to become the number one player in theworld rankings following the travails of Tiger Woods. However, a string of disappointing finishes by Mickelson saw the number one spot eventually go to EnglishmanLee Westwood.
In the days leading up to thePGA Championship atWhistling Straits, Mickelson announced he had been diagnosed withpsoriatic arthritis. He added that he had started medical treatment and had become avegetarian in hopes of aiding his recovery. He maintained that both his short- and long-term prognosis were good, that the condition should have no long-term effect on his golfing career, and that he felt well. He also stated that the arthritis may go into permanent remission after one year of medical treatment. He went on to finish the championship T12, five shots behind winnerMartin Kaymer.
Mickelson started his2011 season at theFarmers Insurance Open atTorrey Pines Golf Course. He shot67–69–68 and was tied for the 54 hole lead withBill Haas. Mickelson needed to hole out on the 18th hole for eagle from 74 yards to force a playoff withBubba Watson. He hit it to 4 feet and Watson won the tournament.
On April 3, Mickelson won theShell Houston Open with a 20-under-par, three-stroke win overScott Verplank. Mickelson rose to No. 3 in the world ranking, whileTiger Woods fell to No. 7. Mickelson had not been ranked above Woods since the week prior to the1997 Masters Tournament.
AtThe Open Championship, Mickelson recorded just his second top-ten finish in 18 tournaments by tying for second withDustin Johnson. His front nine 30 put him briefly in a tie for the lead with eventual championDarren Clarke. However, putting problems caused him to fade from contention toward the end, to finish in a tie for second place.
Mickelson made his2012 debut at theHumana Challenge and finished tied for 49th. He missed the cut at theFarmers Insurance Open after shooting rounds of 77 and 68. In the final round of theAT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, Mickelson rallied from six shots back, winning the tournament by two strokes with a final-round score of 8-under 64 and a four-round total of 269.[54] The win marked his 40th career victory on the PGA Tour. The following week atRiviera Country Club, Mickelson lost theNorthern Trust Open in a three-way playoff.[55] He had held the lead or a share of it from day one until the back nine on Sunday whenBill Haas posted the clubhouse lead at seven under par. Mickelson holed a 27-foot birdie putt on the final regulation hole to force a playoff alongside Haas andKeegan Bradley. Haas however won the playoff with a 40-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole. The second-place finish moved Mickelson back into the world's top 10.[56]
Mickelson finished tied for third at theMasters. After opening the tournament with a two-over-par 74, he shot 68–66 in the next two rounds and ended up one stroke behind leaderPeter Hanson by Saturday night. Mickelson had a poor start to his fourth round, scoring a triple-bogey when he hit his ball far to the left of the green on the par-3 4th hole, hitting the stand and landing in a bamboo plant. This ended up being Mickelson's only score over par in the whole round, and he ended with a score of eight-under overall. Earlier in the tournament, he received widespread praise for being present to watchJack Nicklaus,Arnold Palmer, andGary Player hit the ceremonial opening tee-shots, nearly seven hours before Mickelson's own tee time.[57]
Mickelson made a charge during the final round at theHP Byron Nelson Championship, but bogeyed the 17th and 18th, finishing T-7th. He then withdrew from theMemorial Tournament, citing mental fatigue, after a first-round 79. Mickelson was paired withTiger Woods andBubba Watson at theU.S. Open.[58] He fought to make the cut and finished T-65th. After taking a couple of weeks off, he played in theGreenbrier Classic. Putting problems meant a second straight missed cut at the Greenbrier and a third missed cut at2012 Open Championship, shooting 73-78 (11 over par). He finished T-43rd at theWGC-Bridgestone Invitational. He then finished T-36th at thePGA Championship.
To start the2012 FedEx Cup Playoffs, Mickelson finished T38 atThe Barclays, +1 for the tournament. He tied with Tiger Woods,Zach Johnson, and five other players. In this tournament, he started using the claw putting grip on the greens.[59] At the next event, theDeutsche Bank Championship, he finished the tournament with a −14, tied for 4th withDustin Johnson.[60] At theBMW Championship, Mickelson posted a −16 for the first three rounds, one of those rounds being a −8, 64. On the final day, Mickelson shot a −2, 70, to finish tied for 2nd, withLee Westwood, two shots behind leader, and back-to-back winner,Rory McIlroy.[60] At theTour Championship, he ended up finishing tied for 15th.[60] He went on to have a 3–1 record at theRyder Cup; however, the USA team lost the event.
Mickelson began the2013 season in January by playing in theHumana Challenge, where he finished T37 at −17.[60] His next event was the following week in his home event nearSan Diego at theFarmers Insurance Open. Mickelson endured a disappointing tournament, finishing T51, shooting all four rounds in the 70s.
In the first round of the Waste ManagementPhoenix Open, Mickelson tied his career-low round of 60. He made seven birdies in his first nine holes and needed a birdie on the 18th hole to equal the PGA Tour record of 59. However, his 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole lipped out, resulting in him missing out by a single shot on making only the sixth round of 59 in PGA Tour history. Mickelson led the tournament wire-to-wire and completed a four-shot win overBrandt Snedeker for his 41st PGA Tour victory and 3rd Phoenix Open title. Mickelson's score of 28-under-par tied Mark Calcavecchia's tournament scoring record.[61] He also moved back inside the world's top 10 after falling down as far as number 22.
At theU.S. Open atMerion, Mickelson entered the final round leading by one stroke after rounds of67-72-70 (−1) over the first three days, but he started the final round by three-putting the 3rd and 5th holes for double-bogeys to fall out of the lead. He regained the lead at the par-4 10th when he holed his second shot from the rough for an eagle. However, a misjudgment at the short par-3 13th saw him fly the green and make a bogey to slip one behind leaderJustin Rose. Another bogey followed at the 15th, before narrowly missing a birdie putt on the 16th that would have tied Rose. Mickelson could not make a birdie at the 17th and after a blocked drive on the 18th, he could not hole his pitch from short of the green, which led to a final bogey.
Mickelson ended up finishing tied for second withJason Day, two strokes behind Justin Rose. It was the sixth runner-up finish of Mickelson's career at the U.S. Open, an event record and only behindJack Nicklaus's seven runner-up finishes atThe Open Championship.[62] After the event, Mickelson called the loss heartbreaking and said "this is tough to swallow after coming so close... I felt like this was as good an opportunity I could ask for and to not get it... it hurts."[63] It was also Father's Day, which happened to be his birthday.
The week beforeThe Open Championship, Mickelson warmed up for the event by winning his first tournament on British soil at theScottish Open on July 14, after a sudden-death playoff againstBranden Grace. After this victory, Mickelson spoke of his confidence ahead of his participation in the following week's major championship. Mickelson said: "I've never felt more excited going into The Open. I don't think there's a better way to get ready for a major than playing well the week before and getting into contention. Coming out on top just gives me more confidence."[64]
The following week, Mickelson won his fifth major title on July 21 at theOpen Championship (often referred to as the British Open)Muirfield Golf Links inScotland; the Open Championship is the oldest of the four major tournaments in professional golf. This was the first time in history that anyone had won both the Scottish Open and The Open Championship in the same year.[65] Mickelson birdied four of the last six holes in a brilliant final round of 66 to win the title by three strokes.[66] He shed tears on the 18th green after completing his round. Mickelson later said: "I played arguably the best round of my career, and shot the round of my life. The range of emotions I feel are as far apart as possible after losing the U.S. Open. But you have to be resilient in this game."[67] In an interview before the 2015 Open, Mickelson said, "Two years removed from that win, I still can't believe how much it means to me."[68]
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Mickelson missed the cut at theMasters for the first time since 1997. He failed to contend at theU.S. Open at Pinehurst in his first bid to complete the career grand slam. Mickelson's lone top-10 of the PGA Tour season came at the year's final major, thePGA Championship atValhalla. Mickelson shot rounds of 69-67-67-66 to finish solo second, one shot behind world number oneRory McIlroy.
Prior to the2015 Masters, Mickelson's best finish in2015 was a tie for 17th. At the Masters, Mickelson shot rounds of70-68-67-69 to finish tied for second withJustin Rose, four shots behind championJordan Spieth. The second-place finish was Mickelson's tenth such finish in a major, placing him second all-time only toJack Nicklaus in that regard.
AtThe Open Championship, Mickelson shot rounds of70-72-70 and was eight shots behind, outside the top forty. In the final round, Mickelson birdied the 15th hole to move to 10 under and within two of the lead. After a missed 10-foot (3.0 m) birdie putt on 16, Mickelson hit his drive on the infamous Road Hole (17th) at the famedOld Course at St Andrews onto a second-floor balcony of the Old Course Hotel. The out-of-bounds drive lead to a triple-bogey 7 that sent Mickelson tumbling out of contention.
Later in the year, it was announced that Mickelson would leave longtime swing coach Butch Harmon, feeling as though he needed to hear a new perspective on things.[69]
After leaving Butch Harmon, Mickelson hired Andrew Getson of Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, to serve as his new swing coach. The two worked together heavily in the 2015 offseason to get Mickelson's swing back.
Under Getson's guidance, Mickelson made his2016 debut at theCareerBuilder Challenge. He shot rounds of68-65-66-68 to finish in a tie for third place at 21-under-par. It was only Mickelson's fifth top-five finish since his win at the 2013 Open Championship. The third-place finish was Mickelson's highest finish in his first worldwide start of a calendar year since he won the same event to begin the 2004 season.
At theAT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Mickelson shot rounds of68-65-66-72 to finish in solo second place, a shot behindVaughn Taylor. Mickelson lipped out a five-foot birdie putt to force a playoff on the 72nd hole. He entered the final round with a two-stroke lead, his first 54-hole lead since the 2013 U.S. Open and was seeking to end a winless drought dating back 52 worldwide events to the 2013 Open Championship.[70]
Mickelson shot a 63 in the opening round ofThe Open Championship atRoyal Troon. The round set a new course record and matched the previous major championship record for lowest round. Mickelson had a 15-foot (4.6 m) birdie putt that narrowly missed on the final hole to set a new major championship scoring record of 62.[71] He followed this up with a 69 in the second round for a 10 under par total and a one-shot lead overHenrik Stenson going into the weekend. In the third round, Mickelson shot a one-under 70 for a total of 11 under par to enter the final round one shot back of Stenson. Despite Mickelson's bogey-free 65 in the final round, Stenson shot 63 to win by three shots. Mickelson finished 11 strokes clear of 3rd place, a major championship record for a runner-up. Mickelson's 267 total set a record score for a runner-up in the British Open, and only trails Mickelson's 266 at the 2001 PGA Championship as the lowest total by a runner-up in major championship history.
In the fall of 2016, Mickelson had two sports hernia surgeries. Those in the golf community expected him to miss much time recovering, however his unexpected return at theCareerBuilder Challenge was a triumphant one, leading to a T-21 finish. The next week, in San Diego, he narrowly missed an eagle putt on the 18th hole on Sunday that would have got him to 8-under par instead posting −7(71-72-67-71) to finish T14 at theFarmers Insurance Open. The following week, at the Waste ManagementPhoenix Open, which he has won three times, he surged into contention following a Saturday 65. He played his first nine holes in 4-under 32 and sending his name to the top of the leaderboard. However, his charge faltered with bogeys at 11, 12, 14, 15, and a double bogey at the driveable 17th hole. He stumbled with a final round 71, still earning a T-16 finish, for his sixth straight top-25 finish on tour.
Mickelson came close to winning again at theFedEx St. Jude Classic where he had finished in second place the previous year toDaniel Berger. He started the final round four strokes behind leaders but he quickly played himself into contention. Following a birdie at the 10th hole he vaulted to the top of leaderboard but found trouble on the 12th hole. His tee shot carried out of bounds and his fourth shot hit the water, so he had to make a long putt to salvage triple-bogey. He managed to get one shot back, but he finished three shots behind winner Berger, in ninth place, for the second straight year.
Two weeks later he withdrew from the U.S. Open to attend his daughter's high school graduation. A week later, his longtime caddie Jim (Bones) Mackay left Mickelson in a mutual agreement.[72] Mickelson then missed the cut at bothThe Open Championship and thePGA Championship.
On September 6, days after posting his best finish of the season of T6 at theDell Technologies Championship, Mickelson was named as a captain's pick for thePresidents Cup.[73] This maintained a streak of 23 consecutive USA teams in the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup, dating back to 1994.
On March 4, 2018, Mickelson ended a winless drought that dated back to 2013, by capturing his third WGC championship at theWGC-Mexico Championship, with a final-round score of 66 and a total score of −16. Mickelson birdied two of his last four holes and had a lengthy putt to win outright on the 72nd hole, but tied withJustin Thomas. He defeated Thomas on the first extra hole of a sudden-death playoff with a par. After Thomas had flown the green, Mickelson had a birdie to win the playoff which lipped out. Thomas however could not get up and down for par, meaning Mickelson claimed the championship. The win was Mickelson's 43rd on the PGA Tour and his first since winning the2013 Open Championship.[74] He also became the oldest winner of a WGC event, at age 47.[75]
In the third round of the2018 U.S. Open, Mickelson incurred a two-stroke penalty in a controversial incident on the 13th hole when he hit his ball with intent while it was still moving. He ended up shooting 81 (+11). His former coach Butch Harmon thought Mickelson should have been disqualified.[76][77]
Mickelson was a captain's pick for Team USA at the2018 Ryder Cup, held in Paris between September 28 and 30.[78] Paired withBryson DeChambeau in the Friday afternoon foursomes, they lost 5 and 4 to Europe'sSergio García andAlex Norén. In the Sunday singles match, Mickelson lost 4 and 2 toFrancesco Molinari, as Team USA slumped to a 17.5 to 10.5 defeat.[79]
On November 23, 2018, Mickelson won the pay-per-view event, Capital One's The Match. This was a $9,000,000 winner-takes-all match againstTiger Woods atShadow Creek Golf Course inLas Vegas. Mickelson needed four extra holes to beat Woods, which he did by holing a four-foot putt after Woods missed a seven-foot putt on the 22nd hole.[80]
In his third start of the 2019 calendar year, Mickelson won theAT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, shooting a bogey-free final round 65 to defeatPaul Casey by three strokes. The win was Mickelson's 44th career title on the PGA Tour, and his fifth at Pebble Beach, tyingMark O'Meara for most victories in the event.[81] At 48 years of age, he also became the oldest winner of that event.
In December 2019, Mickelson announced via Twitter that "after turning down opportunities to go to the Middle East for many years" he would play in the 2020Saudi International tournament on theEuropean Tour and would missWaste Management Phoenix Open for the first time since 1989. However, his decision to visit and play in Saudi Arabia was widely criticized for ignoring the continuous human rights abuses in the nation.[82] Mickelson went on to finish the February 2020 event tied for third.[83]
Mickelson finished 3rd at the 2020AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and tied for 2nd in theWGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Mickelson was the first player over 50 to finish in the top five of a World Golf Championship event. He was ultimately eliminated from theFedEx Cup Playoffs followingThe Northern Trust atTPC Boston in August 2020. One week later, Mickelson made his debut on thePGA Tour Champions. He won the Charles Schwab Series at Ozarks National in his first tournament after becoming eligible for PGA Tour Champions on his 50th birthday on June 16, 2020. He was the 20th player to win their debut tournament on tour.[84] Mickelson's 191 stroke total tied the PGA Tour Champions all-time record for a three-day event.
In October 2020, Mickelson won theDominion Energy Charity Classic in Virginia. It was his second win in as many starts on the PGA Tour Champions.[85]
In February 2021, Mickelson was attempting to become the first player in PGA Tour Champions history to win his first three tournaments on tour. However, he fell short in theCologuard Classic, finishing in a T-20 position with a score of 4 under par.[86]
In May 2021, Mickelson held the 54-hole lead at thePGA Championship at theKiawah Island Golf Resort inSouth Carolina, leadingBrooks Koepka by one shot with one day to play. He shot a final-round 73 to capture the tournament, defeating Koepka andLouis Oosthuizen by two strokes, becoming the oldest major champion; at 50.[5] As Mickelson walked down the fairway following an excellent second shot from the left rough on the 18th hole, thousands of fans engulfed him, with him walking towards the hole constantly tipping his hat and giving thethumbs up to the crowd as they cheered. However, the massive tumult of people meant playing partnerBrooks Koepka was stranded in the sea of people, and with difficulties, he managed to reach the green to finish the hole. Mickelson eventually emerged from the crowd and two-putted for par, finishing the tournament at 6-under, besting the field by two strokes.[87]
In October 2021, Mickelson won for the third time in four career starts on the PGA Tour Champions. Mickelson shot a final round 4-under-par 68 to win the inaugural Constellation Furyk & Friends overMiguel Ángel Jiménez inJacksonville, Florida.[88]
In November 2021, Mickelson won the season-endingCharles Schwab Cup Championship inPhoenix, Arizona, with a final round six-under par 65. This victory was Mickelson's fourth win in six career starts onPGA Tour Champions.[89]
Mickelson told a journalist that despiteSaudi Arabians being "scary motherfuckers" who had murdered journalistJamal Khashoggi and executed gay people, he supported the Saudi-backedLIV Golf because it offered an opportunity to reshape the PGA Tour.[90] In response to these comments, Mickelson lost sponsorsAmstel Light andKPMG.[90] Mickelson announced he would be stepping away from golf to spend time with his family and would miss the2022 Masters Tournament.[90] In May, he also decided to withdraw from thePGA Championship[91] which he won in 2021.[92] On June 6, 2022, LIV Golf CEOGreg Norman announced that Mickelson will play in the first event on theLIV Golf Invitational Series beginning on June 9, 2022.[93] On June 9, 2022, the first day of theLIV Golf Invitational London, thePGA Tour suspended Mickelson and 16 other current and former tour members for participating in a conflicting event without permission from the tour.[94]
At the2023 Masters Tournament, Mickelson began the final day ten shots off of the lead, and finished in tied second. Shooting a 65, Mickelson equaled his lowest score at Augusta almost 27 years earlier. In the last seven holes, he scored five birdies and two pars.[95]
On September 21, Mickelson made remarks in response to congresswomanIlhan Omar's commentary aboutCharlie Kirk. Mickelson posted on X: "Ilhan spews hate every time she opens her mouth, she came here fraudulently and will hopefully be sent back to Somalia soon."[96][97]
As a competitor, Mickelson's playing style is described by many as "aggressive" and highly social.[26][98][99] His strategy toward difficult shots (bad lies, obstructions) would tend to be considered risky.[100]
Mickelson has also been characterized by his powerful and sometimes inaccuratedriver, but his excellent short game draws the most positive reviews, most of all his daring "Philflop" shot in which a big swing with a high-lofted wedge against a tight lie flies a ball high into the air for a short distance.[101]
In his prime, Mickelson was usually in the top 10 in scoring, and he led the PGA Tour in birdie average as recently as 2013.[102]
Although ranked second on the PGA Tour's all-time money list[103] of tournament prize money won, Mickelson earns far more from endorsements than from prize money. According to one estimate[104] of 2011 earnings (comprising salary, winnings, bonuses, endorsements, and appearances), Mickelson was then the second-highest paid athlete in the United States, earning an income of over $62 million, $53 million of which came from endorsements. In 2015,Forbes estimated Mickelson's annual income was $51 million.[105] Major companies which Mickelson currently endorses areExxonMobil (Mickelson and wife Amy started a teacher sponsorship fund with the company),Rolex, andMizzen+Main. Mickelson's sponsorship with Callaway Golf is currently "paused" and will be re-evaluated at a later date.[106] After being diagnosed withpsoriatic arthritis in 2010, Mickelson was treated withEnbrel and began endorsing the drug. He has been previously sponsored byTitleist,KPMG,Workday,Bearing Point,Barclays,Amstel Light andFord.
In 2022, Mickelson lost a significant number of sponsors including KPMG, Amstel Light, and Workday after comments he made about the Saudi-backed golf league,LIV Golf. In an interview, he stated that Saudis are "scary motherfuckers to get involved with... We know they killed [Washington Post reporter and U.S. resident Jamal]Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates."[107][108]
As a businessman, Mickelson is the co-founder ofFor Wellness with Dave Phillips, who isJon Rahm's coach and also co-founder of the Titleist Performance Institute. For Wellness sells functional food and beverage products, including the supplement that Mickelson adds to his coffee.[109]
On May 30, 2014,The Wall Street Journal reported that theFBI andU.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) were investigating Mickelson and associates of his forinsider trading inClorox andDean Foods stock.[110][111] Mickelson denied any wrongdoing.[112] The initial investigation concluded without any charges related to Clorox. However, Mickelson was still under investigation for trades in Dean Foods from which he profited more than $931,000.[113][114] On May 19, 2016, Mickelson was named as a relief defendant in a SEC complaint alleging insider trading but avoided criminal charges in a parallel case brought in the Federal District Court for theSouthern District of New York.[115] The action results from trades inDean Foods in 2012 in conjunction with confidential information provided by Thomas Davis, a former director of Dean Foods Company, who tipped his friend and "professional sports bettor"Billy Walters.[113]
The SEC alleged that Walters told Mickelson material, nonpublic information about Dean Foods,[116] and the SEC fined Mickelson the equivalent of the $931,000 profit he made from trading Dean Foods stock as well as interest of $105,000.[117] In 2017, Walters wasconvicted of making $40 million on Davis's private information from 2008 to 2014 by a federal jury. At that time, it was also noted that Mickelson had "once owed nearly $2 million in gambling debts to" Walters.[118]
| Legend |
|---|
| Major championships (6) |
| Players Championships (1) |
| World Golf Championships (2) |
| Tour Championships/FedEx Cup playoff events (3) |
| Other PGA Tour (33) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan 13,1991 | Northern Telecom Open (as an amateur) | −16 (65-71-65-71=272) | 1 stroke |  Tom Purtzer,Bob Tway |
| 2 | Feb 21,1993 | Buick Invitational of California | −10 (75-69-69-65=278) | 4 strokes | Dave Rummells |
| 3 | Aug 22, 1993 | The International | 45 pts (11-7-11-16=45) | 8 points | Mark Calcavecchia |
| 4 | Jan 9,1994 | Mercedes Championships | −12 (70-68-70-68=276) | Playoff | Fred Couples |
| 5 | Jan 22,1995 | Northern Telecom Open (2) | −19 (65-66-70-68=269) | 1 stroke | Jim Gallagher Jr.,Scott Simpson |
| 6 | Jan 14,1996 | Nortel Open (3) | −14 (69-66-71-67=273) | 2 strokes | Bob Tway |
| 7 | Jan 27, 1996 | Phoenix Open | −15 (69-67-66-67=269) | Playoff | Justin Leonard |
| 8 | May 12, 1996 | GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic | −15 (67-65-67-66=265) | 2 strokes |  Craig Parry |
| 9 | Aug 25, 1996 | NEC World Series of Golf | −6 (70-66-68-70=274) | 3 strokes | Billy Mayfair,Steve Stricker,Duffy Waldorf |
| 10 | Mar 23,1997 | Bay Hill Invitational | −16 (72-65-70-65=272) | 3 strokes | Stuart Appleby |
| 11 | Aug 3, 1997 | Sprint International (2) | 48 pts (14-13-12-9=48) | 7 points | Stuart Appleby |
| 12 | Jan 11,1998 | Mercedes Championships (2) | −17 (68-67-68-68=271) | 1 stroke | Mark O'Meara,Tiger Woods |
| 13 | Aug 17, 1998 | AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am | −14 (65-70-67=202)* | 1 stroke | Tom Pernice Jr. |
| 14 | Feb 13,2000 | Buick Invitational (2) | −18 (66-67-67-70=270) | 4 strokes |  Shigeki Maruyama,Tiger Woods |
| 15 | Apr 2, 2000 | BellSouth Classic | −11 (67-69-69=205)* | Playoff | Gary Nicklaus |
| 16 | May 21, 2000 | MasterCard Colonial | −12 (67-68-70-63=268) | 2 strokes | Stewart Cink,Davis Love III |
| 17 | Nov 5, 2000 | The Tour Championship | −13 (67-69-65-66=267) | 2 strokes | Tiger Woods |
| 18 | Feb 11,2001 | Buick Invitational (3) | −19 (68-64-71-66=269) | Playoff | Frank Lickliter,Davis Love III |
| 19 | Jul 1, 2001 | Canon Greater Hartford Open | −16 (67-68-61-68=264) | 1 stroke | Billy Andrade |
| 20 | Jan 20,2002 | Bob Hope Chrysler Classic | −30 (64-67-70-65-64=330) | Playoff | David Berganio Jr. |
| 21 | Jun 23, 2002 | Canon Greater Hartford Open(2) | −14 (69-67-66-64=264) | 1 stroke | Jonathan Kaye,Davis Love III |
| 22 | Jan 25,2004 | Bob Hope Chrysler Classic (2) | −30 (68-63-64-67-68=330) | Playoff | Skip Kendall |
| 23 | Apr 11, 2004 | Masters Tournament | −9 (72-69-69-69=279) | 1 stroke |  Ernie Els |
| 24 | Feb 6,2005 | FBR Open (2) | −17 (73-60-66-68=267) | 5 strokes | Scott McCarron,Kevin Na |
| 25 | Feb 13, 2005 | AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (2) | −19 (62-67-67-73=269) | 4 strokes |  Mike Weir |
| 26 | Apr 4, 2005 | BellSouth Classic (2) | −8 (74-65-69=208)* | Playoff |  Arjun Atwal,Rich Beem,Brandt Jobe, José María Olazábal |
| 27 | Aug 15, 2005 | PGA Championship | −4 (67-65-72-72=276) | 1 stroke |  Thomas Bjørn,Steve Elkington |
| 28 | Apr 2,2006 | BellSouth Classic (3) | −28 (63-65-67-65=260) | 13 strokes | Zach Johnson,José María Olazábal |
| 29 | Apr 9, 2006 | Masters Tournament (2) | −7 (70-72-70-69=281) | 2 strokes | Tim Clark |
| 30 | Feb 11,2007 | AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (3) | −20 (65-67-70-66=268) | 5 strokes | Kevin Sutherland |
| 31 | May 13, 2007 | The Players Championship | −11 (67-72-69-69=277) | 2 strokes | Sergio García |
| 32 | Sep 3, 2007 | Deutsche Bank Championship | −16 (70-64-68-66=268) | 2 strokes | Arron Oberholser,Brett Wetterich,Tiger Woods |
| 33 | Feb 17,2008 | Northern Trust Open | −12 (68-64-70-70=272) | 2 strokes | Jeff Quinney |
| 34 | May 26, 2008 | Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial (2) | −14 (65-68-65-68=266) | 1 stroke | Tim Clark,Rod Pampling |
| 35 | Feb 22,2009 | Northern Trust Open (2) | −15 (63-72-62-72=269) | 1 stroke | Steve Stricker |
| 36 | Mar 15, 2009 | WGC-CA Championship | −19 (65-66-69-69=269) | 1 stroke | Nick Watney |
| 37 | Sep 27, 2009 | The Tour Championship (2) | −9 (73-67-66-65=271) | 3 strokes | Tiger Woods |
| 38 | Apr 11,2010 | Masters Tournament (3) | −16 (67-71-67-67=272) | 3 strokes |  Lee Westwood |
| 39 | Apr 3,2011 | Shell Houston Open | −20 (70-70-63-65=268) | 3 strokes | Chris Kirk,Scott Verplank |
| 40 | Feb 12,2012 | AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (4) | −17 (70-65-70-64=269) | 2 strokes |  Charlie Wi |
| 41 | Feb 3,2013 | Waste Management Phoenix Open (3) | −28 (60-65-64-67=256) | 4 strokes | Brandt Snedeker |
| 42 | Jul 21, 2013 | The Open Championship | −3 (69-74-72-66=281) | 3 strokes |  Henrik Stenson |
| 43 | Mar 4,2018 | WGC-Mexico Championship (2) | −16 (69-68-65-66=268) | Playoff | Justin Thomas |
| 44 | Feb 11,2019 | AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (5) | −19 (65-68-70-65=268) | 3 strokes | Paul Casey |
| 45 | May 23,2021 | PGA Championship (2) | −6 (70-69-70-73=282) | 2 strokes | Brooks Koepka,Louis Oosthuizen |
*Note: Tournament shortened to 54 holes due to weather.
PGA Tour playoff record (8–4)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1994 | Mercedes Championships | Fred Couples | Won with par on second extra hole |
| 2 | 1996 | Phoenix Open | Justin Leonard | Won with birdie on third extra hole |
| 3 | 2000 | BellSouth Classic | Gary Nicklaus | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 4 | 2000 | GTE Byron Nelson Classic | Davis Love III,Jesper Parnevik | Parnevik won with par on third extra hole Mickelson eliminated by birdie on second hole |
| 5 | 2001 | Buick Invitational | Frank Lickliter,Davis Love III | Won with double-bogey on third extra hole Love eliminated by par on second hole |
| 6 | 2002 | Bob Hope Chrysler Classic | David Berganio Jr. | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 7 | 2004 | Bob Hope Chrysler Classic | Skip Kendall | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 8 | 2005 | BellSouth Classic | Arjun Atwal,Rich Beem,Brandt Jobe,José María Olazábal | Won with birdie on fourth extra hole Olazábal eliminated by par on third hole Atwal and Jobe eliminated by par on first hole |
| 9 | 2007 | Nissan Open | Charles Howell III | Lost to par on third extra hole |
| 10 | 2008 | FBR Open | J. B. Holmes | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
| 11 | 2012 | Northern Trust Open | Keegan Bradley,Bill Haas | Haas won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 12 | 2018 | WGC-Mexico Championship | Justin Thomas | Won with par on first extra hole |
| Legend |
|---|
| Major championships (6) |
| World Golf Championships (3) |
| Other European Tour (2) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apr 11,2004 | Masters Tournament | −9 (72-69-69-69=279) | 1 stroke | Ernie Els |
| 2 | Aug 15,2005 | PGA Championship | −4 (67-65-72-72=276) | 1 stroke | Thomas Bjørn,Steve Elkington |
| 3 | Apr 9,2006 | Masters Tournament (2) | −7 (70-72-70-69=281) | 2 strokes | Tim Clark |
| 4 | Nov 11, 2007 (2008 season) | HSBC Champions1 | −10 (68-66-68-76=278) | Playoff | Ross Fisher,Lee Westwood |
| 5 | Mar 15,2009 | WGC-CA Championship | −19 (65-66-69-69=269) | 1 stroke | Nick Watney |
| 6 | Nov 8, 2009 | WGC-HSBC Champions[a] (2) | −17 (69-66-67-69=271) | 1 stroke | Ernie Els |
| 7 | Apr 11,2010 | Masters Tournament (3) | −16 (67-71-67-67=272) | 3 strokes | Lee Westwood |
| 8 | Jul 14,2013 | Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open | −17 (66-70-66-69=271) | Playoff | Branden Grace |
| 9 | Jul 21, 2013 | The Open Championship | −3 (69-74-72-66=281) | 3 strokes | Henrik Stenson |
| 10 | Mar 4,2018 | WGC-Mexico Championship (2) | −16 (69-68-65-66=268) | Playoff | Justin Thomas |
| 11 | May 23,2021 | PGA Championship (2) | −6 (70-69-70-73=282) | 2 strokes | Brooks Koepka,Louis Oosthuizen |
1Co-sanctioned by theAsian Tour,Sunshine Tour andPGA Tour of Australasia, but unofficial event on those tours.
European Tour playoff record (3–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2007 | Barclays Scottish Open |  Grégory Havret | Lost to par on first extra hole |
| 2 | 2007 | HSBC Champions | Ross Fisher,Lee Westwood | Won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 3 | 2013 | Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open | Branden Grace | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 4 | 2018 | WGC-Mexico Championship | Justin Thomas | Won with par on first extra hole |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 9,1993 | Tournoi Perrier de Paris | −13 (72-71-66-66=275) | 1 stroke | Steve Elkington |
| No. | Year | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jul 9, 1996 | Ernst Championship | −9 (68-65=133) | Playoff | Fred Couples |
| 2 | Jul 6, 2004 | Telus Skins Game | $140,000 | $45,000 | John Daly |
| 3 | Nov 24, 2004 | PGA Grand Slam of Golf | −17 (68-59=127) | 5 strokes |  Vijay Singh |
| 4 | Nov 23, 2018 | The Match: Tiger vs. Phil | 22 holes | Tiger Woods | |
Other playoff record (1–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1994 | Fred Meyer Challenge (with Ben Crenshaw) | John Cook andMark O'Meara | Lost to par on second extra hole |
| 2 | 1996 | Ernst Championship | Fred Couples | Won with eagle on first extra hole |
| Legend |
|---|
| Charles Schwab Cup playoff events (1) |
| Other PGA Tour Champions (3) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 26,2020 | Charles Schwab Series at Ozarks National | −22 (61-64-66=191) | 4 strokes | Tim Petrovic |
| 2 | Oct 18, 2020 | Dominion Energy Charity Classic | −17 (68-66-65=199) | 3 strokes | Mike Weir |
| 3 | Oct 10,2021 | Constellation Furyk and Friends | −15 (66-67-68=201) | 2 strokes | Miguel Ángel Jiménez |
| 4 | Nov 14, 2021 | Charles Schwab Cup Championship | −19 (65-67-68-65=265) | 1 stroke |  Steven Alker |
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Masters Tournament | Tied for lead | −9 (72-69-69-69=279) | 1 stroke | Ernie Els |
| 2005 | PGA Championship | Tied for lead | −4 (67-65-72-72=276) | 1 stroke | Thomas Bjørn,Steve Elkington |
| 2006 | Masters Tournament (2) | 1 shot lead | −7 (70-72-70-69=281) | 2 strokes | Tim Clark |
| 2010 | Masters Tournament (3) | 1 shot deficit | −16 (67-71-67-67=272) | 3 strokes | Lee Westwood |
| 2013 | The Open Championship | 5 shot deficit | −3 (69-74-72-66=281) | 3 strokes | Henrik Stenson |
| 2021 | PGA Championship (2) | 1 shot lead | −6 (70-69-70-73=282) | 2 strokes | Brooks Koepka,Louis Oosthuizen |
Results not in chronological order in 2020.
| Tournament | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T46LA | T34 | T7 | 3 | CUT | T12 | T6 | |||
| U.S. Open | T29LA | T55LA | CUT | T47 | T4 | T94 | T43 | T10 | 2 | |
| The Open Championship | T73 | CUT | T40 | T41 | T24 | 79 | CUT | |||
| PGA Championship | T6 | 3 | CUT | T8 | T29 | T34 | T57 |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 1 | T24 | T5 | 5 |
| U.S. Open | T16 | T7 | 2 | T55 | 2 | T33 | T2 | CUT | T18 | T2 |
| The Open Championship | T11 | T30 | T66 | T59 | 3 | T60 | T22 | CUT | T19 | |
| PGA Championship | T9 | 2 | T34 | T23 | T6 | 1 | T16 | T32 | T7 | 73 |
| Tournament | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 1 | T27 | T3 | T54 | CUT | T2 | CUT | T22 | T36 |
| U.S. Open | T4 | T54 | T65 | T2 | T28 | T64 | CUT | T48 | |
| The Open Championship | T48 | T2 | CUT | 1 | T23 | T20 | 2 | CUT | T24 |
| PGA Championship | T12 | T19 | T36 | T72 | 2 | T18 | T33 | CUT | CUT |
| Tournament | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T18 | T55 | T21 | T2 | T43 | CUT | |
| PGA Championship | T71 | T71 | 1 | T58 | CUT | CUT | |
| U.S. Open | T52 | CUT | T62 | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT |
| The Open Championship | CUT | NT | CUT | CUT | CUT | T60 | T56 |
LA = low amateur
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
NT = no tournament due toCOVID-19 pandemic
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 3 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 16 | 21 | 32 | 28 |
| PGA Championship | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 32 | 27 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 34 | 26 |
| The Open Championship | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 31 | 22 |
| Totals | 6 | 12 | 7 | 29 | 40 | 59 | 129 | 103 |
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Players Championship | 1 shot deficit | −11 (67-72-69-69=277) | 2 strokes | Sergio García |
| Tournament | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Players Championship | CUT | CUT | T14 | T33 | CUT | T8 | T32 |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Players Championship | CUT | T33 | T28 | T3 | T40 | T14 | 1 | T21 | T55 |
| Tournament | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Players Championship | T17 | T33 | T25 | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | T41 | CUT | CUT |
| Tournament | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| The Players Championship | C | T35 |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
C = Canceled after the first round due to theCOVID-19 pandemic
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | WGC-CA Championship | Tied for lead | −19 (65-66-69-69=269) | 1 stroke | Nick Watney |
| 2009 | WGC-HSBC Champions | 2 shot lead | −17 (69-66-67-69=271) | 1 stroke | Ernie Els |
| 2018 | WGC-Mexico Championship (2) | 2 shot deficit | −16 (69-68-65-66=268) | Playoff | Justin Thomas |
Results not in chronological order prior to 2015.
| Tournament | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | T40 | NT1 | T23 | T38 | T29 | T23 | T20 | 1 | T14 | T55 | T43 | T3 | T16 | T31 | 5 | T7 | 1 | T39 | |||
| Match Play | R16 | R64 | R64 | R16 | QF | R16 | R16 | R32 | R32 | R16 | R32 | T18 | QF | T17 | T40 | ||||||
| Invitational | 2 | T4 | T8 | T9 | T23 | T43 | T51 | T54 | T46 | T4 | T58 | T46 | T48 | T43 | T21 | T15 | T63 | T27 | T39 | T24 | 57 |
| Champions | 1 | T41 | T2 | 14 | T15 | T28 | |||||||||||||||
| Tournament | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Championship | ||
| Match Play | NT2 | |
| Invitational | T2 | T17 |
| Champions | NT2 | NT2 |
1Cancelled due to9/11
2Cancelled due toCOVID-19 pandemic
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = tied
NT = No Tournament
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.
| Season | Wins (Majors) | Earnings ($) | Rank[120] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1 | 0† | N/a |
| 1992 | 0 | 171,714 | 90 |
| 1993 | 2 | 628,735 | 22 |
| 1994 | 1 | 748,316 | 15 |
| 1995 | 1 | 655,777 | 28 |
| 1996 | 4 | 1,697,799 | 2 |
| 1997 | 2 | 1,225,390 | 11 |
| 1998 | 2 | 1,837,246 | 6 |
| 1999 | 0 | 1,722,681 | 14 |
| 2000 | 4 | 4,746,457 | 2 |
| 2001 | 2 | 4,403,833 | 2 |
| 2002 | 2 | 4,311,971 | 2 |
| 2003 | 0 | 1,623,137 | 38 |
| 2004 | 2 (1) | 5,784,823 | 3 |
| 2005 | 4 (1) | 5,699,605 | 3 |
| 2006 | 2 (1) | 4,256,505 | 6 |
| 2007 | 3 | 5,819,988 | 2 |
| 2008 | 2 | 5,118,875 | 3 |
| 2009 | 3 | 5,332,755 | 3 |
| 2010 | 1 (1) | 3,821,733 | 6 |
| 2011 | 1 | 3,763,488 | 12 |
| 2012 | 1 | 4,203,821 | 8 |
| 2013 | 2 (1) | 5,495,793 | 4 |
| 2014 | 0 | 2,158,019 | 38 |
| 2015 | 0 | 2,154,200 | 38 |
| 2016 | 0 | 4,022,628 | 12 |
| 2017 | 0 | 2,102,599 | 45 |
| 2018 | 1 | 4,595,187 | 13 |
| 2019 | 1 | 2,440,221 | 39 |
| 2020 | 0 | 1,493,908 | 60 |
| 2021 | 1 (1) | 2,707,199 | 70 |
| Career* | 45 (6) | 94,814,452 | 2[121] |
* As of 2021 season.
† Mickelson won as an amateur in 1991 and therefore did not receive any prize money.
Amateur
Professional
| 1994 | 1996 | 1998 | 2000 | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1.5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 4.5 | 3 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 32.5 |
| 1995 | 1997 | 1999 | 2002 | 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | 2012 | 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 2 | 2.5 | 1 | 0.5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2.5 | 0 | 21.5 |
Phil Mickelson in theRyder Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Phil Mickelson in thePresidents Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
