Phil Mickelson – A golfing Legend

Phil Mickelson began his golf career in 1988 at Arizona State. He attended the school on a golf scholarship.  He had tremendous success while in college, becoming just the second collegiate golfer to be named first-team All-American for all four years.  In 1990, he became the first left-hander to win the U.S. Amateur Title.

Mickelson’s greatest accomplishment as an amateur was when he won the 1991 Northern Telecom Open.  The tournament was a PGA event.  Mickelson became just the fourth golfer in PGA history to win a PGA event as an amateur.

Mickelson became a pro shortly thereafter.  He continued to win many PGA Tour tournaments, including the Byron Nelson Golf Classic and the World Series of Golf in 1996, the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in 1998, the Colonial National Invitation in 2000 and the Greater Hartford Open in 2001 and again in 2002.

In 2000, Mickelson won the Buick Invitational.  The win ended Tiger Woods’s streak of six consecutive PGA tournament wins.  Afterwards, Mickelson claimed that he wasn’t interested in being the “bad guy” who ended the historic streak.  He said he was only interested in playing his best possible golf.

Despite Mickelson’s success on the Tour, he gained a reputation as a golfer who couldn’t win when the stakes were highest.  Prior to 2004, Mickelson had never won a major tournament (the Masters, US Open, British Open, or PGA Championship).  He played very well in them, finishing second or third six times from 1999 to 2003. 

Mickelson’s big break came at the 2004 Masters.  He prevailed on an 18-foot birdie putt on the final hole, giving him a one-stroke lead over Ernie Els.  Mickelson’s celebratory jump after sinking the put was described by Sports Illustrated’s Rick Reilly as “high enough that you may have been able to slide a sheet of paper under his feet.” 

The following year, Mickelson would win his second major at the PGA Championship.  He led after each of the four rounds, finishing with a one-stroke lead over Thomas Bjørn and Steve Elkington. 

The year 2006 would be a one of contrasts for Mickelson.  He began by winning the Masters in April.  The win was his second consecutive major and his second Masters victory.  In June, Mickelson played in the US Open at Winged Foot Golf Club in New York State.  He was attempting to join Ben Hogan and Tiger Woods as the only golfers to ever win three consecutive majors.  After a series of questionable club and shot selections on the final two holes, Mickelson lost his lead to Geoff Ogilvy.  In the end, Mickelson would finish second.  It was the fourth time he finished second at the US Open; he would finish second again in 2009 for a record-setting fifth time.

Since he last won a major (the Masters in 2006), Mickelson has enjoyed success on the tour.  He has won 8 PGA Tour events since then, bringing his win total to 37 (12th all-time).  He finished the 2009 season strong, winning the Tour Championship and the HSBC Champions in China.