Phil Mickelson

At 53 years old, Phil Mickelson has this physical status:

Professional career

Mickelson graduated from ASU in June 1992 and went straight into work as a professional. He skipped the tour's qualifying process (Q-School) because of his 1991 victory in Tucson, which earned him a two-year exemption. Jim "Bones" Mackay, Mickelson's caddy, was hired as his chauffeur in 1992. During this time, he has competed in many PGA Tour tournaments, including the Byron Nelson Golf Classic and the World Series of Golf in 1996, the Colonial National Invitation in 2000, and the Greater Hartford Open in 2002.

In the 1996 film Tin Cup, starring Kevin Costner, he appeared as himself in a non-speaking role.

Tiger Woods' streak of six straight victories on the PGA Tour came to an end with his 2000 Buick Invitational victory. "I didn't want to be the bad guy" after winning, Mickelson said after the win. I wasn't trying to bring an end to the streak per se. "I was just trying to win the golf tournament."

Despite his success in the majors up to the 2003 season (17 top-ten finishes and six second- or third-place finishes between 1999 and 2003), Mickelson's inability to win any of them resulted in him being referred to often as the "best player never to win a major" repeatedly.

Mickelson won his first major championship appearance on the PGA Tour in 2004, when he won with an 18-foot (5.5 m) putt on the 18th hole. Ernie Els was the runner-up at a stroke back; the two teams competed in separate pairs in the final round and traded birdies and eagles on the back nine; Mickelson was only the third golfer with a left-handed swing to win a major; the others were New Zealander Sir Bob Charles, who won the Open Championship in 1963, and Canadian Mike Weir, who won The Masters in 2003. (Like Mickelson, Weir is a right-hander who plays left-handed.) Bubba Watson, the Masters champion in 2012 and 2014, is the fourth left-handed champion.

Mickelson was suspended from his long-serving employment with Titleist/Acushnet Golf in 2004 after an incident when he left a voicemail message for a Callaway Golf executive. He lauded their driver and golf ball and thanked them for their help in getting some equipment for his brother. This newsletter was sent to all of their salesmen and later found its way back to Titleist. He was released from his multi-year contract with Titleist 16 months before and signed with Callaway Golf. He was chastised and scrutinized by the public and fellow Ryder Cup players for his equipment change so close to the Ryder Cup matches. He suffered at the 2004 Ryder Cup with a 1-3-0 record, but he refused to blame sudden changes in equipment or his training methods for his results.

Mickelson recorded his career low for an 18-hole round at Poipu Bay Golf Course in Hawaii in November 2004.

Mickelson finished his second major at the PGA Championship in Baltusrol in a Monday final-round finish due to inclement weather the day before. Mickelson fired one of his signature softballs from deep greenside rough to within 18 inches (460 mm) of the cup, bringing his birdie to a record of 276, one shot ahead of Steve Elkington and Thomas Bjrn.

Mickelson captured his third major title at the Masters in the spring. After shooting a 3-under-par final round, he gained by two strokes over runner-up Tim Clark for his second green jacket. With this victory, he leapt to second place in the Official World Golf Ranking (his best), behind Woods, and ahead of Vijay Singh and Retief Goosen.

Mickelson, who had won two majors in a row before moving to the United States Open at Winged Foot, was hoping to join Ben Hogan and Tiger Woods as the only ones to win three major championships in a row (not necessarily in the same calendar year). Mickelson was the joint champion going into the final round, but he was part of a wild finish to the tournament in which he made major mistakes on the 18th hole and ended up in a tie for second place at +6 (286), one shot behind Geoff Ogilvy.

The 16th hole was bogeyed by Mickelson. He missed the fairway to the left and finished inside a garbage can from which he was given a free drop on the 17th hole, with the lead at +4 on the 17th hole; he parred the hole. He had a one-shot lead and was in the last group going into the final round.

Mickelson, who wanted a par on the 18th hole for a one-shot victory, stuck a driver off the tee; he had only hit two fairways in the round before. The ball bounced off a corporate hospitality tent and landed in a strip of tumultuous grass encircled with trees. He decided to shoot for the green with his second attempt rather than try to make it safe and pitch out into the fairway. His ball then collided with a tree and did not advance more than 50 yards (46 m). His next shot was fired 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.

Mickelson said, "I'm still in shock" after his humiliating result. I can't believe I did that. Since I had it won, this one has more pain than any tournament. Geoff Ogilvy is credited with some excellent play. I want to thank all the people who have helped me out. The only thing I can say is "I'm sorry." When he said: "I just can't believe I did that," he was more open. I'm such a fool."

Mickelson paid a spectator $200 after a wayward tee shot at the par-5 10th broke the man's watch during the third round of the 2006 Ford Championship in Doral. Mickelson has also shown other signs of appreciation. Since hearing Conrad Dobler's family and his family's struggle to pay medical bills, Mickelson volunteered to pay tuition for Holli Dobler, Conrad Dobler's daughter, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in 2007.

Mickelson made the decision in April 2007 to fire longtime swing coach Rick Smith after being dissatisfied with his driving abilities. He then began working with Butch Harmon, a former Tiger Woods and Greg Norman coach. Mickelson won the Players Championship with a three-under-par 277 on May 13, Mickelson came from a stroke back to shoot a three-under 69.

Mickelson missed the cut (by a stroke) at Oakmont in June for the first time in 31 majors after hitting 11 over par for 36 holes. He had been hampered by a wrist injury he suffered while training in the thick fog at Oakmont a few weeks before the tournament.

Mickelson won the Deutsche Bank Championship, the second FedEx Cup playoff tournament. 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 Mickelson was able to defeat Woods while the two stars were paired together on the final day of a tournament. Mickelson revealed the next day that he would not be participating in the third FedEx Cup playoff tournament. During a television interview, Mickelson said that he had not responded to an invitation he had received the day before his departure.

Mickelson claimed the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial in 2008, one shot ahead of Tim Clark and Rod Pampling. Mickelson won the tournament at a 5's price in the first round. He ended the day tied for second with Brett Wetterich, two shots behind leader Johnson Wagner. Mickelson shot a second-round 68 and the third round 65, total, down from 68 for the first three rounds. He was in thick woods in his path on the final hole after a horrendous tee shot. Many players would have been forced to play par with a solid wedge shot to make par with the fairway. Rather, Mickelson took out a high-lofted wedge and launched his approach shot over a tree, lands on the green where he one-putted for the victory.

Mickelson recalled his fight to lose twenty pounds (9.1 kg) with the help of trainer Sean Cochran in a Men's Vogue interview. "He knew he had to start working out to ensure long-servation in his career as the younger players came on tour," Cochran said. Mickelson's diet consisted of increasing flexibility and strength, eating five smaller meals a day, aerobic training, and carrying his own golf bag.

In 2008, Mickelson was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.

Mickelson won his first 2009 tour event as he defended his title at the Northern Trust Open at Riviera, one stroke behind Steve Stricker. Mickelson's victory was his 35th on tour; he defeated Vijay Singh for second place on the current PGA Tour winners list. Nick Watney beat him in the WGC-CA Championship one month later for his 36th birthday and first World Golf Championship.

On May 20, it was announced that his wife Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer, and Mickelson announced that he would postpone his PGA Tour schedule indefinitely. As soon as the following two weeks, she may begin undergoing major surgery. Mickelson had intended to compete in the HP Byron Nelson Championship May 21–24 and defend his crown from May 28-31 at the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Colonial, but he was unable to participate in both events. John Daly, a golfer and family friend, wore bright pink trousers in favor of Mickelson's wife in the final round of the 2009 BMW PGA Championship. In addition, the PGA Tour players all wore pink on Saturday at the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Colonial, where the Mickelson family was on display.

Mickelson announced on May 31 that he will return to compete on the St. Jude Classic and the U.S. Open in June because he had heard from the doctors treating his wife that her cancer had been detected early in life. Mickelson placed 70 on the final round of the 2009 U.S. Open for his fifth runner-up finish at the US Open. After an eagle on the 13th hole, he shared the lead but then slumped back with bogeys on 15 and 17 holes; Lucas Glover captured the championship.

It was revealed on July 6 that his mother Mary was diagnosed with breast cancer and would have surgery at the same hospital where his wife's wife was treated. Mickelson took yet another leave of absence from the tour after learning that his mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Mickelson revealed on July 28 that he would return to the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in August, the week before the PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

Mickelson won The Tour Championship for the second time in his career in September. He came from dead in round four strokes off the lead, but he took the tournament by three strokes over Tiger Woods. Mickelson finished second in the 2009 FedEx Cup standings, second behind Woods.

Mickelson triumphed the WGC-HSBC Champions by a single shot over Ernie Els in Shanghai on November 8.

Mickelson won the Masters Tournament on April 11 with a 16-under-par result, securing him a three-stroke victory over Lee Westwood. Mickelson's third Masters victory and his fourth major championship overall. Mickelson's victory was a thrilling run in the third round, in which Mickelson, trailing leader Westwood by five strokes, managed to make eagle from 141 yards, then to miss eagle from 81 yards by just inches. At 15, Mickelson, at 12, led Westwood, who had bogeyed the 12th hole and struggled to capitalize on the par 5th, settling for par.

By the end of the round, Westwood had a one-stroke lead, but Mickelson's momentum carried forward into round 4, where he scored a bogey-free 67 to Westwood's 71. No other pursuer was able to keep pace to the end, though K. J. Choi and Anthony Kim made serious allegations. For good measure, Mickelson birdied the final hole and memorably welcomed Amy, his waiting wife, with a long hug and kiss.

Mickelson's finish in the tournament was particularly touching for several fans, given that Amy had been suffering from breast cancer since the beginning of last year. Mary Mickelson, Phil's mother, was also dealing with cancer. "This is a win for the family," CBS Sports announcer Jim Nantz' call of the final birdie putt, was seen by many as accurately capturing the moment.

After a turbulent 20-week absence, Tiger Woods returned to competitive action; he was in close contention throughout his tenure and finished tied for fourth at 11: Choi. Mickelson and others provided exciting entertainment over the weekend, and the 2010 Masters had high television ratings in the United States, placing third all-time to Woods' historic victories in 1997 and 2001. Mickelson's victory placed him second only to Woods in major championships of his younger siblings, putting him ahead of Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, and Pádraig Harrington with three major titles each.

On Thursday and Friday, Mickelson, one of the top candidates for the United States Open at Pebble Beach, shot 75 and 66, drawing two shots off the lead. However, he finished T4 after two weekend scores of 73. Following Tiger Woods' struggles, Mickelson had multiple opportunities to rise to the top of the world rankings for the remainder of the 2010 season. However, Mickelson's string of weak finishes saw the number one spot eventually go to Englishman Lee Westwood.

Mickelson revealed he had been suffering from psoriatic arthritis in the days leading up to the PGA Championship in Whistling Straits. In the hopes of assisting him in his recovery, he began medical therapy and became a vegetarian. He maintained that both his short and long-term prognosis were positive, that the illness had no long-term effect on his golfing career, and that he felt well. After one year of medical therapy, he also stated that the arthritis can go into permanent remission. He continued to finish the championship T12, five shots behind winner Martin Kaymer.

Mickelson began his 2011 appearance at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course. He shot 67–69–68 and was tied for the 54 hole lead with Bill Haas. Mickelson had to hole out on the 18th hole for eagle from 74 yards to force a playoff with Bubba Watson. Watson won the tournament after hitting it to 4 feet.

Mickelson won the Shell Houston Open on April 3 with a 20-under-par, three-stroke victory over Scott Verplank. Mickelson came in at No. 6 in the world of No. 6. Tiger Woods has ranked No. 3 in the world rankings, while Tiger Woods has fallen to No. 31. 7. Before the 1997 Masters Tournament, Mickelson had not been ranked above Woods since the week.

Mickelson finished second in only two top-ten finishes in 18 tournaments by tying for second with Dustin Johnson at The Open Championship. His front nine 30 places him briefly in a tie for the lead with eventual champion Darren Clarke. However, causing him to fade from contention toward the end and finish in a tie for second place.

Mickelson made his 2012 debut at the Humana Challenge, finishing tied for 49th. After shooting rounds of 77 and 68, he missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open. Mickelson came from six shots behind to win the tournament by two strokes with a final-round score of 8-under 64 and a four-round total of 269. The victory was his 40th victory on the PGA Tour. In a three-way playoff, Mickelson lost the Northern Trust Open the following week. On Sunday, Bill Haas announced the clubhouse lead at seven under par, either as he had a piece or more from day one to the back nine. Mickelson holed a 27-foot birdie putt on the final regulation hole, forcing a playoff between Haas and Keegan Bradley. On the second playoff hole, Haas won the playoff tournament with a 40-foot birdie putt. Mickelson's second-place finish put him back into the top ten in the world.

At the Masters, Mickelson came in third place. After opening the tournament with a two-over-par 74, he shot 68–66 in the next two rounds and finished one stroke behind leader Peter Hanson by Saturday night. Mickelson was off to a disappointing start in his fourth round when he struck his ball far to the left of the green on the par-3 4th hole, resulting in the stand and landing in a bamboo plant. This was Mickelson's only point over par in the whole round, with a score of eight-under overall. Earlier in the tournament, he received a lot of kudos for being there to watch Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Gary Player shoot the ceremonial opening tee-shots, almost seven hours before Mickelson's own time.

During the final round of the HP Byron Nelson Championship, Mickelson made a charge but he finished T-7th, not behind the 17th and 18th. After a first-round 79, he pulled out of the Memorial Tournament due to physical exhaustion. At the United States Open, Mickelson was paired with Tiger Woods and Bubba Watson. He fought to make the cut and finished T-65th. He participated in the Greenbrier Classic after taking a few weeks off. At the 2012 Open Championship, shooting 73-78 (11 over par), putting problems resulted in a second straight missed cut at the Greenbrier and a third missed cut at the Greenbrier, as well as a third missed cut. At the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, he came in T-43rd. He then finished T-36th at the PGA Championship, placing him in T-36th place.

Mickelson finished T38 at The Barclays, +1 for the tournament, to kick off the 2012 FedEx Cup Playoffs. He tied with Tiger Woods, Zach Johnson, and five other participants. He began to use the claw putting grip on the greens in this tournament. He finished the tournament with a 143, tied for 4th with Dustin Johnson in fourth place at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Mickelson was ranked 16 for the first three rounds of the BMW Championship, with one of those rounds being a 8, 64. Mickelson finished second with a 702, 701, and Lee Westwood, two shots behind the leader and back-to-back champion Rory McIlroy. He ended up finishing 15th at the Tour Championships, finishing tied for 15th. He went on to make a 3–1 record at the Ryder Cup, but the USA team failed to participate in the tournament.

Mickelson started the 2013 season in January by participating in the Humana Challenge, where he finished T37 at 176. The Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego was his next stoppage. Mickelson finished T51, shooting all four rounds in the 70s in a disappointing tournament.

Mickelson finished first in the Waste Management Phoenix Open first round, beating his career-low round of 60. He shot seven birdies in his first nine holes, but he needed a birdie on the 18th hole to equal the PGA Tour record of 59 holes. However, his 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole lipped out, leaving him dead by a single shot on the sixth round of 59 in PGA Tour history. Mickelson led the tournament wire-to-wire and won by four shots over Brandt Snedeker for his 41st PGA Tour victory and 3rd Phoenix Open championship. Mickelson's 28-under-par average tied for his highest tournament scoring record, beating Mark Calcavecchia's record. After falling as low as number 22 in the world's top ten, he has also climbed back into the top ten.

Mickelson started the final round of the US Open at Merion, winning by a single stroke after rounds of 67-72-70 (1) over the first three days, but he started the final round by three-putting the 3rd and 5th holes for double-bogeys, which put him out of contention. At par-4 10th, he regained control after shooting his second shot from the rough for an eagle. However, a misjudgment at the short par-3-13th brought him the green and dropped one behind leader Justin Rose. At the 15th, a bogey was followed before barely surviving a birdie putt on the 16th, which would have tied Rose. Mickelson could not make a birdie at the 17th, and after a blocked drive on the 18th, he was unable to parry his pitch from short of the green, resulting in a final bogey.

With Jason Day, Mickelson came in second, two strokes behind Justin Rose. It was Mickelson's sixth runner-up finish in the U.S. Open, an achievement that was only behind Jack Nicklaus' seven runner-up finishes at The Open Championship. Mickelson said the loss was heartbreaking and that "coming so close is impossible to bear." I felt like this was the best chance I had to have and not receive it, but it hurts." It was also Father's Day, which happened to be his birthday.

Mickelson pumped up for the tournament by winning his first tournament on British soil at the Scottish Open on July 14, after a sudden-death playoff against Branden Grace. Mickelson talked about his excitement ahead of his appearance in the following week's big championship. "I've never been more excited going into The Open," Mickelson said. I don't think there's a better way to get to a major than playing well and being in contention the week before. Coming out on top gives me more confidence."

Mickelson won his fifth major title at the Open Championship on July 21 (often referred to as the British Open). Muirfield Golf Links in Scotland, Scotland; 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. In a thrilling final round of 66, Mickelson birdied four of the last six holes to win the championship by three strokes. After finishing his round, he shed tears on the 18th green. "I played arguably the best round of my career and shot the round of my life," Mickelson later said. After losing the U.S. Open, a variety of emotions I feel are as different as possible. In this game, you must be patient." "I can't believe how much money it means to me," Mickelson said in an interview before the 2015 Open.

Mickelson made the cut at the Masters for the first time since 1997. In his first attempt to win the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, he failed to qualify for the first time in his career grand slam. Mickelson's lone top ten of the year's best major, the PGA Championship at Valhalla, was his lone top ten of the PGA Tour season. Mickelson finished second in 69-67-66 rounds, one shot behind world number one Rory McIlroy.

Mickelson's highest finish in 2015 was a tie for 17th, ahead of the 2015 Masters. Mickelson finished second with a 70-68-69 record, four shots behind champion Jordan Spieth, who was third. Mickelson's tenth major finish, his second in a major, second only to Jack Nicklaus in this regard.

Mickelson fired rounds of 70-72-70, leaving him eight shots behind, outside the top 40. Mickelson birdied the 15th hole to move to 10 under and within two shots of the leader. Mickelson putt on the infamous Road Hole (17th) at the Old Course Hotel in St Andrews, which brought him to a second-floor balcony. Mickelson was sent a triple-bogey 7 that knocked him out of contention.

Mickelson would leave longtime swing coach Butch Harmon later this year, needing to have a fresh perspective on it.

Mickelson hired Andrew Getson of Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, as his new swing coach after leaving Butch Harmony. Mickelson's swing back in the 2015 offseason, and the two worked together to get him to be back in action.

Mickelson made his 2016 debut at the CareerBuilder Challenge under Getson's direction. He shot rounds of 68-66-68, tying for third position at 21-under-par. It was only Mickelson's fifth top-five finish since his 2013 Open Championship victory. Mickelson's highest finish in his first international debut of a calendar year since he won the same competition in 2004.

Mickelson finished in second place at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, a shot behind Vaughn Taylor. On the 72nd hole, Mickelson lipped out a five-foot birdie putt to force a playoff. He had a two-stroke lead in the final round after the 2013 U.S. Open Golf Championship, and was looking to break a winless drought dating back to 52 world events to the 2013 Open Championship.

In the first round of The Open Championship at Royal Troon, Mickelson shot a 63. The round set a new course record and tied the previous major championship record for lowest round. Mickelson had a 15-foot (4.6 m) birdie putt on the 18th hole that barely missed to set a new major championship scoring record of 62. In the second round for a 10 under par total and a one-shot lead over Henrik Stenson going into the weekend, he continued this up with a 69. Mickelson fired a one-under 70 for a total of 11 under par to advance to the final round one shot behind Stenson in the third round. Despite Mickelson's bogey-free 65 in the final round, Stenson shot 63 to win by three shots. Mickelson came 11 strokes ahead of 3rd place in a major championship championship event, a major championship record for a runner-up. Mickelson's 267 total set a new record for a runner-up in the British Open, but Mickelson's 266 was the lowest number by a runner-up in major championship history.

Mickelson underwent two sports hernia surgeries in the fall of 2016. Many in the golf community had expected him to miss much time recovering, but the CareerBuilder Challenge was a triumphant one that culminated in a T-21 finish. He barely missed an eagle putt on the 18th hole on Sunday that would have put him to 8-under par but instead finished T14 at the Farmers Insurance Open. Following a Saturday 65, he soared into contention at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, where he has won three times. He shot his first nine holes in 4-under 32 holes, sending his name to the top of the leaderboard. However, his charges fell short of bogeys at 11, 12, 15, 15, and a double bogey at the driveable 17th hole. For his sixth straight top-25 finish on tour, he stumbled with a final round 71, netting a T-16 finish.

Mickelson came close to winning again at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, where he had finished second in second place last year to Daniel Berger. He started the final round four strokes behind leaders, but he quickly recovered and pushed himself into contention. Following a birdie on the 10th hole, he soared to the top of the leaderboard, but he had trouble on the 12th hole. His tee shot came out of bounds and his fourth shot hit the water, so he had to make a long putt to save triple-bogey. For the second year in a row, he managed to get one shot back, but he finished three shots behind winner Berger, who was in ninth place for the second year in a row.

He withdrew from the U.S. Open to attend his daughter's high school graduation two weeks later. Jim (Bones) Mackay, Jim, a longtime caddie, left Mickelson in a mutual deal a week later. Mickelson made the cut at both The Open Championship and the PGA Championship.

Mickelson was named as a captain's pick for the Presidents Cup on September 6, days after completing his best finish of the season on T6 at the Dell Technologies Championship. This was the longest running team in the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup since 1994.

Mickelson ended a winless drought that dated back to 2013 by winning his third WGC-Mexico Championship at the WGC-Mexico Championship, earning a final-round score of 66 and a total score of 16. Mickelson won outright on the 72nd hole, but tied for Justin Thomas on two of his last four holes and had a long putt to win outright. He defeated Thomas on the first extra hole of a sudden-death playoff with a par. Mickelson was a birdie to win the playoff that ended after Thomas had flown the green. Thomas, on the other hand, was unable to get up and down for par, implying Mickelson claimed the championship. Mickelson's 43rd on the PGA Tour, his first since winning the 2013 Open Championship. At the age of 47, he became the youngest winner of a WGC tournament.

Mickelson incurred a two-stroke penalty in a fiery moment on the 13th hole when he struck his ball with intent while it was still moving in the third round of the 2018 U.S. Open. He ended up shooting 81 (+11). Mickelson should have been disqualified, according to his former coach Butch Harmon.

Mickelson was a captain's pick for Team USA at the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris, which took place between September 28 and September 30. They lost 5 and 4 to Sergio Garca and Alex Norén, who were paired with Bryson DeChambeau in the Friday afternoon foursomes. Team USA lost 17.5 to 10.5 in a singles match on Sunday. Mickelson lost 4 and 2 to Francesco Molinari.

Mickelson won Capital One's The Match on November 23, 2018. At Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas, it was a winner-takes-all match against Tiger Woods. Mickelson needed four extra holes to defeat Woods, who benefited by holing a four-foot putt after Woods missed a seven-foot putt on the 22nd hole.

Mickelson won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am third round 65, defeating Paul Casey by three strokes. Mickelson's victory was his fourth on the PGA Tour and his fifth at Pebble Beach, tying Mark O'Meara for the most major titles in the tournament. He also became the oldest winner of the tournament at 48 years old.

Mickelson revealed on Twitter in December 2019 that "after turning down opportunities to go to the Middle East for many years," he would participate in the 2020 Saudi International tournament on the European Tour, but not the Waste Management Phoenix Open for the first time since 1989. However, his decision to visit and play in Saudi Arabia was criticized for being lured by millions of dollars and ignoring the country's continuing human rights abuses. Mickelson went on to finish third in the February 2020 tournament.

Mickelson finished third at the 2020 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and tied for second in the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Mickelson was the first person over the age of 50 to finish in a World Golf Championship event. Following The Northern Trust at TPC Boston in August 2020, he was eventually dropped from the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Mickelson made his PGA Tour Champions debut a week later. After being eligible for PGA Tour Champions on his 50th birthday, he won the Charles Schwab Series at Ozarks National in his first tournament. He was the 20th player to win their first tournament on tour. Mickelson's 191 stroke total tied for the PGA Tour Champions' all-time record for a three-day tournament.

Mickelson won the Dominion Energy Charity Classic in Virginia in October 2020. It was his second victory in as many tries on the PGA Tour Champions.

Mickelson was aiming to win his first three tournaments on tour in February 2021. However, he came up short in the Cologuard Classic, finishing in a T-20 finish with a score of 4 under par.

Mickelson led Brooks Koepka by a single shot in May 2021 at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina, winning by 54 holes. He shot 73 to win the tournament, beating Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen by two strokes, becoming the oldest major champion at 50. Thousands of spectators engulfed Mickelson after an excellent second shot from the left rough on the 18th hole, with him walking down the fairway, constantly tipping his hat and giving the thumbs up to the crowd as they applauded. Nonetheless, the massive tumult of people meant that playing partner Brooks Koepka was trapped in the sea of people, and with challenges, he managed to reach the green to finish the hole. Mickelson stepped out from the crowd and two-putted for par, finishing the tournament at 6-under and besting the field by two strokes.

Mickelson won for the third time in four appearances on the PGA Tour Champions in October 2021. Mickelson triumphed the inaugural Constellation Furyk & Friends over Miguel ngel Jiménez in Jacksonville, Florida, after a final round 4-under-par 68.

Mickelson claimed the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix, Arizona, in November 2021, defeating 65-under par 65. Mickelson's fourth victory in six starts on PGA Tour Champions.

Despite Saudi Arabians being "scary murderers" who murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi and executed gay people, Mickelson told a journalist that despite Saudi Arabians being "scary murderers" who murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi and executed gay people, he favors LIV Golf because it provided the opportunity to reshape the PGA Tour. Mickelson lost funds for Amstel Light and KPMG as a result of his remarks. Mickelson announced that he would withdraw from golf to spend time with his family, and that he would miss the 2022 Masters Tournament. He also decided to withdraw from the PGA Championship, which he won in 2021, in May. Mickelson will compete in the first round of the LIV Golf Invitational Series on June 6, 2022, according to LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman. The PGA Tour suspended Mickelson and 16 other current and former tour participants for attending a conflicting event without authorization from the tour on June 9, 2022, the first day of the LIV Golf Invitational London.

PGA Tour career summary

* In the 2021 season, Mickelson began as an amateur in 1991 and therefore did not receive any prize money.

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