Phil Mickelson Chases the Grand Slam at the U.S. Open
Golfer Phil Mickelson will be present at next week’s U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh. The six-time major champion acknowledged that this could be his last chance to complete the Grand Slam in his career.
This will be the last year of Mickelson’s five-year exemption, earned after winning the PGA Championship in 2021 at Kiawah Island, South Carolina, where he became the oldest major championship winner.
Mickelson, 54, has been a six-time runner-up at the U.S. Open, the only one of the four major championships he hasn’t won. If he were to achieve it, he would become the seventh golfer to accomplish this feat, after Rory McIlroy did so at the Masters in April.I haven’t thought much about it. It’s very likely that it is, but I haven’t really thought about it much.
Phil Mickelson
In February, the U.S. Open became the first major to create a direct path for LIV Golf players, granting a spot in the tournament to the leading player in the individual points standings as of May 19.
Next year, the best golfer in the final points standings of this season will earn a spot in the 2026 U.S. Open. The player must not already be exempt and must finish in the top three.
The top 60 players in the Official World Golf Ranking are also included in the U.S. Open. Players do not earn OWGR points for their results in the LIV Golf League; Mickelson currently ranks 1,162nd in the world.
Mickelson, a three-time Masters champion, has a lifetime exemption to play at Augusta National Golf Club, as well as at the PGA Championship, which he won twice. He can play in the Open Championship until he is 60 years old, after winning the Claret Jug in 2013.Mickelson turns 55 on June 16.
Mickelson also hinted that the end of his playing career in the LIV Golf League might not be far off. He said he will continue to compete as player-captain of HyFlyers GC, as long as it doesn’t hurt his team.
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 leave and bring in someone else who will actually help the team win and succeed. These guys deserve to experience that, and I want them to. As a partner in this team, I want that too.
Phil Mickelson
Mickelson is ranked 15th in the individual points standings, the highest position on his team. He finished third in a tournament in Hong Kong and sixth in Miami.
I’ve played better this year. I feel like I’ve been holding myself back in recent years. I had a great preseason. I don’t feel like I’m holding myself back now. If I can keep playing well, help the team succeed, then I want to play. But if not, I’m also realistic and I want the team to succeed more than my own personal interest in playing.
