For the third straight major, there’s a chance for a player to complete the career Grand Slam.
Rory McIlroy became the sixth member of the exclusive club with his victory at the Masters in April, while Jordan Spieth missed the cut in his ninth attempt to win the final leg he needs at the PGA Championship in May. Now, it’s Phil Mickelson’s turn to try again to win the elusive U.S. Open at Oakmont next week. The six-time major winner has six runner-up finishes at his country’s national championship but has never lifted the hardware. Could this be his final shot at glory?
Mickelson is in the final year of his five-year exemption for winning the PGA Championship at Kiawah in 2021.
Asked during his pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday ahead of this week’s LIV Virginia event at the Robert Trent Jones Club in Manassas, Virginia, Mickelson addressed the possibility that this could be his final U.S. Open.
“There’s a high likelihood that it will be, but I haven’t really thought about it too much,” he said.
Mickelson has struggled since winning PGA Championship
Mickelson is trying to regain the mojo of his thrilling PGA Championship win at Kiawah, when he became the oldest major winner. But since jumping to LIV, his game has abandoned him with the exception of a back-door runner-up finish at the 2023 Masters. Mickelson finished 39th in the individual points race in 2022, improving slightly to 33rd in ’23 and dropping to 50th a year ago. It’s also been dragging down his team’s performance.
“I want to be realistic,” said the HyFlyers captain. “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.”
But Mickelson, who finished third at LIV Mexico before missing the cut at the Masters and PGA Championship, is the eternal optimist and is using this week to get ready for his 34th start at the U.S. Open.
“What I have thought about is how similar this week’s course is set up to what we’ll see next week. We have greens that are rolling 14 to 15 on the Stimpmeter, just like we will next week. We have contours, undulations, just like we will next week. I think it’s a great way to prepare for next week without minimizing the effects of this week because this is the first tournaments of our second half of LIV, and we all need and want and are working hard to getting off to a good start and making the second half of LIV great,” he said. “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.”
What are Phil Mickelson’s upcoming options?
Mickelson has missed the cut at the U.S. Open in his last three attempts to complete the career Grand Slam. While his exempt status into the U.S. Open ends with this year’s edition, it’s possible the USGA could offer him a special exemption in 2026. Before winning the 2021 PGA, Mickelson had been granted a special exemption, but then didn’t need it after his win. He could also participate in 36-hole Final Qualifying.
Asked if he would consider attempting to qualify, Mickelson said, “I don’t know. I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far.”
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