One of golf’s most beloved and controversial figures is preparing for his final chance at completing the career Grand Slam, as Phil Mickelson acknowledged there’s a “high likelihood” that next week’s U.S. Open at Oakmont will be his last appearance in the tournament that has tormented him throughout his legendary career.
The six-time major champion’s admission comes as his five-year exemption from winning the 2021 PGA Championship expires this year, potentially ending his 34-year quest to capture the one major that has eluded him despite six agonizing runner-up finishes – the most in U.S. Open history.
“There’s a high likelihood that it will be [my last U.S. Open],” Mickelson said Wednesday ahead of the LIV Golf event in Virginia, “but I haven’t really thought about it too much.”
The 54-year-old’s modest response undersells what’s at stake. Mickelson stands as the last active player from golf’s golden era still chasing the career Grand Slam, a feat that Rory McIlroy just accomplished with his Masters victory earlier this year.
For Mickelson, the U.S. Open represents both his greatest heartbreak and his biggest opportunity for golf immortality.
Mickelson’s U.S. Open record is a tragedy – six second-place finishes spanning from 1999 to 2013 that have defined his relationship with America’s national championship. His most painful near-miss came at Winged Foot in 2006, when he famously declared “I’m such an idiot” after a final-hole double bogey cost him the title.
Since that last runner-up finish in 2013, Mickelson has made the cut at the U.S. Open just four times and has missed the last four editions entering Oakmont. His recent major championship record is equally concerning – he’s missed the cut in 10 of his last 14 major starts, with only a tie for second at the 2023 Masters providing a brief glimpse of his former brilliance.
The decline coincides with Mickelson’s controversial departure from the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf, a move that fractured his relationship with golf fans and fellow professionals. His inflammatory comments supporting Saudi Arabia – whom he once described as “scary motherf***ers” – forced him to step away from golf temporarily and tarnished his reputation as one of the sport’s most charismatic figures.
Mickelson has also been candid about his gambling addiction, which plagued him for years and contributed to massive debts that influenced his decision to join the Saudi-backed LIV tour. The combination of personal struggles and declining performance has transformed the once-popular and dominant force into a polarizing figure fighting to remain relevant.
As captain of the HyFlyers team in LIV Golf, Mickelson has shown self-awareness about his diminished abilities. His individual finishes in LIV have been disappointing: 39th in 2022, 33rd in 2023, and a lowly 50th in 2024. Currently sitting at No. 15 in the individual points standings, he’s been honest about his impact on his team.
“I want to be realistic,” Mickelson said. “I want this team to succeed. I don’t want to hold it back. If I’m not an asset, if I’m not helping, if I’m holding it back, then it’s time for me to move on and get somebody else in here who is going to really help the team win and succeed.”
He added with characteristic honesty: “I feel like I’ve held it back the last couple years.”
Yet Mickelson’s legendary self-belief – the same conviction that led to his famous pre-major optimism about new swing keys and equipment tweaks – hasn’t completely disappeared. He’s shown flashes of his old form this year, recording his best-ever LIV finish with a tie for third in Hong Kong and a sixth-place showing at Trump Doral in Miami.
“This year I’ve played better,” he insisted. “I had a great offseason. I don’t feel I’m holding [my team] back now. If I can continue to play well, help the team succeed, then I want to play.”
The 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, scheduled for June 12-15, represents the last chance for Mickelson.
“What I have thought about is how similar this week’s course is set up to what we’ll see next week,” Mickelson said, focusing on preparation rather than sentimentality. “We have greens that are rolling 14 to 15 on the Stimpmeter just like we will next week. Short game, touch, chipping around the greens, rough, speed, lag drills and speed and touch on the greens, all of that’s critical here same thing as next week. It couldn’t be a better spot to get ready.”
Mickelson’s career statistics tell the story of one of golf’s greatest players. Over a professional career that began in 1992, he has amassed 57 wins worldwide, including 45 PGA Tour victories that rank him eighth all-time. His six major championships include three Masters titles (2004, 2006, 2010), two PGA Championships (2005, 2021), and one British Open Championship (2013).
But no Grand Slam. Yet.