Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson (born June 16, 1970, San Diego, California, U.S.) is an American professional golfer who became one of the most dominant players on the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) Tour in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Early life and career

Mickelson took to golf at an extremely young age, hitting his first golf balls when just 18 months old. He learned the basics of the sport by mirroring his father’s swing, which led the naturally right-handed Phil to adopt the left-handed stroke that would later lead to his nickname, “Lefty.” He won dozens of San Diego-area tournaments as a junior golfer, and he captured an unprecedented three consecutive national Junior Player of the Year awards (1986, 1987, and 1988).

His golfing prowess earned him a full scholarship to Arizona State University (ASU), where he established a reputation as one of the greatest American amateur golfers of all time. Mickelson was named first-team All-American in each of his four years at ASU, and he won three NCAA individual championships (1989, 1990, and 1992). In 1990 he won the U.S. Amateur Championship, and the following year he won his first PGA Tour event, the Northern Telecom Open, becoming only the fourth amateur to win a PGA tournament.

Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.

SIGN UP

By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Britannica Quiz

Great Moments in Sports Quiz

PGA Tour

Mickelson joined the PGA Tour in 1992. His first professional win came in 1993 at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, where he had played golf matches in high school. Mickelson won at least one tournament in each of the following three years, and he finished the 1996 PGA season with his first top-10 world ranking (seventh). He rose to second in the rankings in 2001, finishing behind Tiger Woods. The two golfers developed a rivalry that came to dominate the sport throughout the decade as the outgoing Mickelson and the more-reserved Woods divided golf fans with their disparate personalities and approaches to the game. Despite his great success on the Tour, Mickelson gained a reputation as the best player in the world to have never won a major tournament (the Masters, the U.S. Open, the British Open [Open Championship], or the PGA Championship), a distinction made more burdensome by his finishing second or third in six majors between 1999 and 2003.

He finally broke through with a major victory in 2004 when he won the Masters by one stroke over Ernie Els. His hot play continued through the rest of the season, and he finished in the top six in the remainder of the 2004 majors. Mickelson waited just one year for a second major win, the 2005 PGA Championship, which he followed with a victory in the very next major, the 2006 Masters. In April 2010 Mickelson won his third green jacket as Masters champion, placing himself into a tie with four others for the third highest career total in the tournament’s history.

Mickelson fell off slightly after his third Masters victory, winning just one tournament each year from 2010 to 2012. In 2013 he made up a five-shot deficit on the final day of the British Open to capture his first victory in that tournament. He subsequently struggled and did not win another PGA Tour event until 2018. The following year he claimed his 45th career PGA title with his victory at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. During this time he also competed in the Ryder Cup and was on the winning team in 1999, 2008, and 2016. In 2021 he won his sixth career major title, capturing the PGA Championship in his first tour victory in over two years. In so doing, he became, at age 50, the oldest winner of a major tournament in PGA history.

LIV tour and lawsuit

In early 2022 Mickelson caused controversy with his support of the Saudi-backed company LIV Golf Investments, which was launching a tour that offered multimillion-dollar paydays to PGA players. Some claimed that LIV was an attempt by the Saudi government to “sportswash” its human rights violations. Mickelson told a reporter that, although he thought the Saudis were “scary” and guilty of human rights abuses, he believed that the new tour would lead to changes at the PGA, which he accused of “obnoxious greed.” In the ensuing uproar, Mickelson apologized for his “reckless” comments and withdrew from a series of PGA events, including the PGA Championship. In the meantime, the PGA warned players that, if they joined LIV, it would bar them from PGA Tour-sanctioned events. In March 2022 it banned Mickelson for two months after he allegedly recruited players for the new venture; the suspension was extended in the ensuing months.

Explore Britannica Premium!

The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.

SUBSCRIBE

In June Mickelson officially signed a deal with LIV, and later that month he competed in the tour’s inaugural event. Shortly before it began, the PGA barred the players, including Mickelson, from its tournaments. In August 2022 Mickelson and other suspended golfers filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA. However, after LIV joined the suit, Mickelson withdrew his name, saying his participation was no longer necessary. In 2023 the PGA and LIV agreed to merge, and as part of the deal, all pending litigation ended.

Meanwhile, Mickelson, like several other LIV players, was still allowed to compete in major tournaments for which he qualified. Mickelson’s best major result in the early 2020s was a tie for second place at the 2023 Masters.