While Phil Mickelson’s place amongst golf’s all-time greats has never been in doubt, the 51-year-old rolled back the years at the PGA Championship in May. “Lefty” became the oldest player to win a major championship with his two-stroke win at Kiawah Island. Now, he’ll be targeting another deep run at a major, the Open Championship – otherwise known as the British Open.
Born in San Diego, before attending Arizona State University, Mickelson is one of the most prolific winners on the PGA Tour, tied 8th on the all-time list with 45 events to his name. He has a history across the pond, too, having won the Open Championship in 2013. Despite a total of six major wins and his recent triumph, Mickelson is viewed as a relative outsider in terms of the odds – usually the case given his advancing years and the level of competition. Leading NJ sports betting site FanDuel lists him at +6000 in a stacked field of the world’s elite players. Recent first-time major winner Jon Rahm (+850) is the favorite, ahead of Rory McIlroy (+1100) and Dustin Johnson (+1400).
Mickelson’s previous win at the British Open came at Muirfield in Scotland, one of the venues that make up the rotating cast of courses used for the competition. This year, the field will head to Royal St. George’s in England for the 149th edition. That shouldn’t be viewed as a negative for the 51-year-old, though. The last time the tournament was held at this course, Mickelson finished tied for second in 2011, three shots behind eventual winner Darren Clarke. Given those fond memories and his recent showing in South Carolina, it would be foolish to write off his chances, even in such a competitive field.
While few things have been “normal” in the past 18 months, Mickelson’s preparation for a trip to the UK will be more unusual than most. Instead of playing in the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run in Illinois, Lefty will instead take part in “The Match”, held in Detroit.
He will partner up with Tamba Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady as they take on Bryson DeChambeau and Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers. This will be the fourth time that Mickelson has taken part in the event, while DeChambeau makes his debut, stepping in for Tiger Woods. The event will raise funds for Feeding America and other charities.
