Phil

Mickelson C

The young Phil Mickelson started playing golf under his father’s tuition – and the fact that he would mirror his dad’s right-handed swing explains why he plays the game left-handed.

He grew up in San Diego, California, and practiced extensively in the family’s back yard.

Once he went to Arizona State University on a golf scholarship, however, he was strictly front of house.

Mickelson won three individual NCAA Championships – a record he shares with Ben Crenshaw. He won a total of 16 tournaments while he was at college, including the US Amateur in 1990.

Less than a year later, while still an amateur and only 20 years old, he recorded his maiden PGA Tour victory at the Northern Telecom Open in Tucson - a feat that has only been accomplished three times since 1985.

Phil Mickelson turned pro as soon as he graduated in 1992, buoyed by the two-year exemption granted by his Tucson victory.

Through the rest of the decade, he was a regular visitor to the winner’s circle – and one of the most high-profile and popular players on the PGA Tour.

One reason he stood out was the fact he played left-handed, but another was the attacking nature of his play, particularly with driver in hand.

Mickelson says the golfer he admired most was Seve Ballesteros for his “style and flair”, and there was something of the legendary Spaniard in the risk-taking and creative shot making that characterized the approach of the man universally known as Lefty.

Mickelson was well known for his superlative short game. This included the ability to play flop shots with his wedge that steepled almost vertically into the air before landing close to the pin.

He steadily piled up what was eventually to be a total of 45 PGA Tour wins.

Phil Mickelson broke into the major winner's circle at the 2004 Masters. Lefty sealed his biggest victory to date with five birdies in the last seven holes – including one on the final hole of the tournament.

Mickelson went on to win a total of six of the game’s highest honors. He took the PGA Championship in 2005 and the British Open in 2013.

The only major to elude him was the U.S. Open, in which he finished second or joint second six times.

Perhaps his most memorable triumph came in 2021 when he became, at the age of 50, the oldest man to win a major. He had changed his mindset considerably in the previous decade, and later said he was in a “bubble of calm” as a rapturous crowd at the PGA Championship cheered him to a two-shot win.

He had, he said simply, learned how to win in a different way.

Three of Phil Mickelson’s Major wins came at one of the world's most iconic courses, Augusta National.

He is part of an elite group who have won the Masters three times or more.

He was fitted for his second Green Jacket after a two-shot win in 2006, then captured a third in 2010 thanks to a bogey-free final round of 67.

Mickelson has finished in the top 10 at Augusta National no fewer than 16 times – and the 16th was as dramatic as any of the others. In 2023, he teed off for his final round 10 shots back, but revived memories of past glories with a run of five birdies in his last seven holes that put him in a tie for second place.

Phil Mickelson was arguably the highest profile recruit to LIV Golf in 2022 – and it is a decision he has never regretted.

“I fully believe this was the right thing to do,” he told Fairway To Heaven. “That’s why so many guys on LIV are the characters in the game; because they have the guts to play the game differently, or they have the guts to go down the road they believe is right, no matter what other people say.”

He admits that he expected to be criticized, but he was “happy and excited” to be involved, and has bought in completely to the team aspect. He has a blast with his HyFlyers team, he says, adding: “The experience on LIV is 10 out of 10… it’s the greatest experience to come and play.”

While a lifelong competitor like Mickelson will always back himself to compete at the highest level, he admits he has struggled unexpectedly in one area of his game.

“Surprisingly, if you look at the analytics, it’s been my short game that’s just crushed me the last few years,” says Mickelson. “I’ve been like last in scrambling on LIV. It’s been a staple of my game throughout my career, and the last couple years it’s been the reason why I have not scored and had the results.”

Phil Mickelson met Amy McBride in 1992, when they were both students at Arizona State University. He was the star golfer, she was a cheerleader for the Phoenix Suns … and the couple have been together ever since.

In 2009, Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer. Mickelson took a break from golf to care for her, but shortly after he returned to the course he was hit by the news that his mother had the same disease. To the relief of Mickelson and his colleagues and many fans, both women recovered.

Since 2004, the couple have run the Phil and Amy Mickelson Foundation, which supports a range of youth and family initiatives.

When Phil Mickelson appeared on the Fairway To Heaven LIV Golf podcast in 2024, he gave a revealing insight into his career – and the way his mindset has changed over the years.

Playing in LIV Golf wearing shorts has brought plenty of attention to his well-defined calves. Indeed, the calves are so famous that they have their own Instagram account!

One of the most insightful moments arrived when he discussed the letter he would send to his younger self. He said he would advise a youthful Mickelson that happiness is peace, rather than short bursts of pleasure.

He says he is “now able to sit still, be present in the moment and live each day with an inner calm and peace”.

Mickelson also thanked his wife Amy for her steadfast support in his “darkest and most difficult times”, admitting: “I couldn’t have gotten through this without her.”

As he approaches his mid-fifties, Phil Mickelson could be forgiven for walking away from the game he has played for so long and living the quiet life.

It is clear, however, that his love of golf continues to consume him. He still wants to be out there competing on the course for the biggest prizes in the sport, while accepting that his future may soon lie in more ambassadorial and administrative roles.

He is still eligible to play in all four majors until 2026, and has exemptions at The Open Championship, the Masters and the PGA for much longer. And he is obviously fully committed to LIV Golf.

Mickelson says: “I would love to compete and give myself a chance to win in those majors, and I also want to build LIV Golf out and create a culture that is sustainable and that people strive to be a part of.

“How I do that, whether it’s internally as a player and so forth, or whether it’s strictly from the outside, I’m going to be intricately involved with the HyFlyers going forward probably for the rest of my life.”