Phil Mickelson: PGA Championship Win Alone Doesn't Warrant US Ryder Cup Selection
May 26, 2021
KIAWAH ISLAND, SC - MAY 23: Phil Mickelson smiles with the Wanamaker Trophy after his two stroke victory in the final round of the PGA Championship on The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort on May 23, 2021, in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
Phil Mickelson isn't looking to parachute in on the United States Ryder Cup team based largely on his victory in the PGA Championship.
"If I'm the captain, I'm not going to want a guy that plays well one week in an entire year," Mickelson said of potentially playing in the event. "And so just because I played really well last week and won a big championship, that does not warrant a spot on the team by any means."
The 50-year-old indicated he'd be willing to join the U.S. squad if he thought he had earned the right.
The World Golf Hall of Famer was an unexpected winner at Kiawah Island Golf Resort not just because he became the oldest major champion in history, but also because he simply hasn't played well in 2021.
Immediately preceding the PGA Championship, Mickelson had finished 69th in the Wells Fargo Championship and missed the cut in the Valspar Championship. The PGA Championship was his first top-10 finish in 14 PGA Tour events.
According to the Tour's official site, he ranks 169th in scoring average (71.854), 199th in driving accuracy (51.36 percent) and 123rd in greens in regulation (64.47 percent).
Because of last week's result, Mickelson moved 36 spots up to 16th in the standings for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, with the top six golfers automatically qualifying. With 6,575.57 points, the San Diego native trails sixth-place Xander Schauffele by 4,715.62 points.
Mickelson has competed in 12 Ryder Cups, a biennial competition between the U.S. and Europe, and he's one of the greatest golfers of his generation. Especially in a team event, experience can go a long way toward finding the right balance between talent and personalities.
But the pre-PGA Championship version of Mickelson wasn't somebody you'd expect to see at Whistling Straits in September. Perhaps he turned a meaningful corner at Kiawah.
Mickelson, Tom Brady vs. DeChambeau, Aaron Rodgers Set for Capital One's 'The Match'
May 26, 2021
Phil Mickelson holds the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course, Sunday, May 23, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
The fourth edition of Capital One's "The Match" will feature a foursome of Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady taking on Bryson DeChambeau and Aaron Rodgers in a showdown for charity.
Capital One's "The Match" will be held July 6 and broadcast live on TNT, with coverage beginning at 5 p.m. ET. Mickelson and Brady will join forces against DeChambeau and Rodgers at Moonlight Basin in Big Sky, Montana.
The event will include donations made to Feeding America and additional charitable beneficiaries.
This will mark the first appearance in the exhibition event for Rodgers and DeChambeau. The reigning NFL MVP has a solid golf game and finished 16th at the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in January 2020.
DeChambeau is a rare character on the PGA Tour. The 27-year-old capped off his rise to stardom last year when he won the U.S. Open by six shots.
Mickelson, who is coming off a win at the PGA Championship, has been a staple of this event since its inception in 2018. He defeated Tiger Woods in a one-on-one match that took 22 holes to finish. The 50-year-old also earned a $9 million payout for his victory in the showdown between the two biggest stars on the PGA Tour of this generation.
Lefty returned for the second event, Capital One's The Match: Champions for Charity, in May 2020. He partnered with Brady in a four-ball pro-am against Woods and Peyton Manning.
Woods and Manning defeated Mickelson and Brady 1 up at Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Florida. The event also raised $20 million to help provide relief to communities most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In November, Capital One's The Match: Champions For Change was held at Stone Canyon Golf Club with Stephen Curry and Charles Barkley stepping in for Woods and Brady.
The duo of Mickelson and Barkley held off Manning and Curry 4 and 3. The event also raised $6.4 million for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and four million meals for Feeding America.
Rodgers and Brady have already established themselves as two of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. Rodgers was named NFL MVP last season, but Brady won his seventh Super Bowl title in his first year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brady led the Bucs to a 31-26 win over Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 24.
PGA of America Apologizes to Mickelson, Koepka for Swarm of Fans at PGA Championship
May 25, 2021
KIAWAH ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - MAY 23: Phil Mickelson of the United States leaves the 18th green after winning during the final round of the 2021 PGA Championship held at the Ocean Course of Kiawah Island Golf Resort on May 23, 2021 in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/PGA of America/PGA of America via Getty Images)
PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh has issued an
apology to Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka on Monday after fans
swarmed the 18th hole during the final round of the 2021 PGA
Championship on Sunday.
Mickelson, who won the tournament to
become golf's oldest major champion at age 50, called the scene "a
little bit unnerving, but it was exceptionally awesome, too," while
Koepka said his surgically repaired right knee was struck by
spectators rushing through the crowd that was following his playing partner toward the green.
"Yeah, it would have been cool if
I didn't have a knee injury," Koepka told reporters. "Got
dinged a few times in the knee in that crowd because no one really
gave a s--t, personally. But if I was fine, yeah, it would have been
cool. It's cool for Phil. But getting dinged a few times isn't
exactly my idea of fun."
A similar scene developed during the
final round of the 2018 Tour Championship, when Tiger Woods won his
first tournament in more than four years.
The difference in that is the security
was able to keep the crowd mostly behind Woods and Rory McIlroy. In
this instance, the fans rushed ahead of Mickelson and Koepka to
position themselves near the green and forced the players to fight
through the mass of humanity.
Koepka explained his caddie, Ricky
Elliott, was also struck and had to stop for a moment, which left them even deeper in the crowd as they tried to approach the green.
"Somebody jammed Ricky,"
Koepka said. "Ricky stopped unintentionally because he got
drilled in the face, and then I got hit because he got stopped so
quickly. There were so many people around."
It showcased that crowd control, which
hasn't been a factor for much of the past year because of the COVID-19
pandemic, is once again a concern. The announced attendance for
the PGA Championship was 10,000 fans per day, and the PGA of America
is hoping to reach full capacity for September's Ryder Cup.
The PGA Tour season resumes Thursday
with the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort
Worth, Texas. The next major, the U.S. Open, begins June 17 at Torrey
Pines Golf Course in San Diego.
Mickelson Tells Brady They Have 'Unfinished Business' After Loss to Tiger, Manning
May 24, 2021
HOBE SOUND, FLORIDA - MAY 24: Phil Mickelson reads a putt for NFL player Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on the 17th green during The Match: Champions For Charity at Medalist Golf Club on May 24, 2020 in Hobe Sound, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images for The Match)
One year to the day, Phil Mickelson still hasn't forgotten losing Capital One's "The Match: Champions for Charity" to Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning.
Following his triumph in the PGA Championship on Sunday, Mickelson responded to a tweet from The Match playing partner Tom Brady and teased another encounter down the road.
We have some unfinished business. Let’s get another match and find a pair to give a beat down. 😏
Mickelson and Brady mounted a comeback bid, cutting a 3-up lead for Woods and Manning to 1-up with four holes remaining. Unfortunately, they were unable to level the score and force a playoff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaO81rxZuyE
Mickelson did come out victorious alongside Charles Barkley against Peyton Manning and Stephen Curry in Capital One's "The Match: Champions for Change."
Nonetheless, the 50-year-old clearly carries a bit of a chip on his shoulder from last May.
Phil Mickelson's Sister Tina Shares 'Nervous' Text from Mom During PGA Championship
May 24, 2021
KIAWAH ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - MAY 23: Phil Mickelson of the United States gives a thumbs up during the final round of the 2021 PGA Championship held at the Ocean Course of Kiawah Island Golf Resort on May 23, 2021 in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Phil Mickelson's family apparently watches him with the same mindset as every single golf fan.
Tina Mickelson, Phil's sister, shared a message from their mother Mary midway through the PGA Championship advising him "just to par in" and not "hit bombs or activate calves."
Mickelson has been undone by his own aggression in the past, most famously during the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot.
The 50-year-old avoided a similar meltdown Sunday at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina. He held off Louis Oosthuizen and Brooks Koepka to become the oldest man to win a major championship.
It's unclear whether Mary Mickelson's guidance filtered its way down to Phil. Considering he drilled a 366-yard drive down the 16th fairway, he may not have gotten the memo.
Tiger Woods: Phil Mickelson's Historic PGA Championship Win Is 'Truly Inspirational'
May 24, 2021
THOUSAND OAKS, CA - OCTOBER 25: Tiger Woods watches his tee shot on the 10th hole while Phil Mickelson gets ready to hit during the final round of the ZOZO Championship at Sherwood Country Club on October 25, 2020 in Thousand Oaks, California. (Photo by John McCoy/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
Tiger Woods called Phil Mickelson's PGA Championship victory "truly inspirational" following the conclusion of the tournament Sunday.
Truly inspirational to see @PhilMickelson do it again at 50 years of age. Congrats!!!!!!!
At 50, Mickelson became the oldest golfer to win a men's major championship. He held off Louis Oosthuizen and Brooks Koepka, who finished two shots behind the leader.
To some extent, Woods will know how Mickelson is feeling right now.
Because of repeated back trouble, Woods went on a long drought after winning the 2008 U.S. Open, and fans probably gave up hope of him getting title No. 15. Then he defied the odds at the 2019 Masters.
Mickelson had merely fallen victim to Father Time, making his PGA Tour Champions debut in 2020. But he provided at least one more magical run before his days as a tour regular are finished.
Woods' usage of the word "inspirational" may have been intentional given the questions about his golf career in the wake of his February car crash that left him with significant leg injuries.
Mickelson didn't have to overcome that kind of hardship, but Tiger is likely to use Sunday's result to help fuel his quest for major No. 16.
Phil Mickelson's 2021 PGA Championship Win Earns Bettor $301k After $1K Wager
May 23, 2021
Phil Mickelson holds the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the final round at the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course, Sunday, May 23, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Phil Mickelson isn't the only one who is thrilled with his victory at the 2021 PGA Championship.
One bettor took home $301,000 with a $1,000 gamble on Lefty to win the major:
One bettor put $1,000 on Phil Mickelson to win the PGA Championship.
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) May 23, 2021
That bettor was surely sweating when Mickelson bogeyed Nos. 13 and 14 to fall to plus-one for the final round, but he responded with a birdie on No. 16 to create enough separation to survive another bogey on No. 17.
He finished Sunday's round with a one-over 73, but he was minus-six for the tournament and two shots clear of Louis Oosthuizen and Brooks Koepka.
Mickelson became the oldest major winner in golf history at 50 years, 11 months old.
Anyone willing to bet $1,000 on a long shot at history coming through like that deserves the massive payday.
Brooks Koepka on PGA Championship Crowd: 'No One Gave a S--t' About Knee Injury
May 23, 2021
Phil Mickelson wades through fans on the 18th fairway during the final round at the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course, Sunday, May 23, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt York)
The crowd at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort formed around Phil Mickelson like bees to a hive Sunday at the No. 18 during the fourth round of his PGA Championship title, making for quite the scene.
Not everybody was thrilled with the situation, however.
"It would have been cool if I didn't have a knee injury and got dinged a few times in the knee in that crowd because no one gave a s--t, personally," Brooks Koepka, who was in the final pairing with Mickelson, told reporters. "But if I was fine, yeah, it would have been cool."
Mickelson was just as surprised by the swarm of fans.
"I don't think I've ever had an experience like that, so thank you for that," he told reporters.
Mickelson shot six under for the tournament, topping Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen by two strokes. None played brilliantly Sunday: Mickelson and Oosthuizen each shot one over, while Koepka shot two over. But it was good enough to get Mickelson the win, making him the oldest PGA Tour player in history (50) to win a major.
Truly inspirational to see @PhilMickelson do it again at 50 years of age. Congrats!!!!!!!
Chalk one up for the old boys ✅ ....Congratulations @PhilMickelson 🏆 An absolute tough track...beat me by 33 shots and I only played 2 days!!😳😂 Well done....Well done
"Phil played great," Koepka told reporters. "It's pretty cool to see, but a bit disappointed in myself."
"I'm not happy. I don't know if there's a right word I can say on here without getting fined, but it hurts a little bit," he added. "It's one of those things where I just never felt comfortable over the putts. I don't know why, what happened."
One thing is for certain—nobody will ever forget the throng of fans that seemed to swallow up Mickelson and Koepka at the 18th. Perhaps Jordan Spieth summed up the entire spectacle amid Mickelson's improbable win best.
Phil Mickelson Discusses PGA Championship Win: 'I Just Believed That It Was Possible'
May 23, 2021
Phil Mickelson celebrates after winning the final round at the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course, Sunday, May 23, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
What was the strategy behind Phil Mickelson's historic PGA Championship victory?
"I just believed that it was possible, but yet everything was saying it wasn't," he said after carding a one-over 73 in the final round at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina on Sunday to finish at six under on the weekend.
"I hope that others find that inspiration. It might take a little extra work, a little bit harder effort to maintain physically or maintain the skills, but gosh is it worth it in the end."
Mickelson, who turns 51 on June 16, is the oldest men's major championship winner in history. That record was previously held by Julius Boros, who was 48 when he won the 1968 PGA Championship, per ESPN Stats & Info.
It was more than just his age that had people counting him out, even though he held a one-stroke lead over Brooks Koepka heading into the final round. Mickelson was ranked 115th in the Official World Golf Ranking, making him the lowest-ranked major champion since Shaun Micheel won the PGA Championship in 2003 after being ranked at 169.
Those expectations were reflected in the odds put out by DraftKings:
Mickelson's last major championship win came in 2013, when he claimed The Open Championship. He also finished tied for second at that year's U.S. Open. A 2010 Masters tournament champion, Mickelson snapped his longest winless drought of any major, claiming his first PGA Championship since 2005.
He is the first to win majors in three different decades.
This was his first PGA Tour win since 2019. Mickelson is the first player in tour history to win tournaments in four different decades—he claimed his first in 1991.
For all the latest betting information and reaction, check out B/R Betting.
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PGA Championship 2021: Phil Mickelson Becomes Oldest Major Winner in PGA Tour History
May 23, 2021
KIAWAH ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - MAY 23: Phil Mickelson of the United States gives a thumbs up on the second hole during the final round of the 2021 PGA Championship held at the Ocean Course of Kiawah Island Golf Resort on May 23, 2021 in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Phil Mickelson made history Sunday, becoming the oldest golfer to win a men's major championship.
Mickelson pulled away from the field to capture his second PGA Championship title at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina. The 50-year-old carded a one-over 73 in the final round to finish at six under for the tournament.
Given both his age and history of occasionally unraveling in the final stage of major events, some fans likely went into Sunday expecting Mickelson to fall apart eventually. However, one shot more than any other showed this wouldn't be another Winged Foot.
Mickelson's tee shot on the par-three fifth hole sliced to the left and into a waste bunker. That was no problem for the Hall of Famer, who holed out from 51 feet.
Back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14 opened the door for the rest of the field. With things getting a bit nervy, Lefty stepped up to the 16th tee and bombed his drive down the fairway. The 366-yarder was the tournament's longest on the hole.
Another BOMB for Phil Mickelson.
He's on the 16th with a two-shot lead, looking to become the oldest player to ever win a major. pic.twitter.com/IMdMcEWdRg
More importantly, that allowed Mickelson with a golden opportunity to solidify his lead on the par five. He overshot the green with his approach but got on with his third shot and sank his birdie putt to improve to seven under.
Getting that stroke back helped as he bogeyed No. 17. The damage could've been far worse after his tee shot sailed past the green and into the thick stuff in the native area. He opted for the safe approach on his chip and played for the bogey knowing he'd still have a sizable advantage with one hole to play.
In general, once Mickelson took control early into the day, he didn't let go.
Hole 1: Brooks leads by 1 Hole 2: Phil leads by 2 Hole 3: Phil leads by 1 Hole 4: Phil leads by 1 Hole 5: Phil leads by 2 Hole 6: Tied Hole 7: Phil leads by 2 Hole 8: Phil leads by 2 Hole 9: Phil leads by 2
He didn't need to be perfect in the final round since many of the top contenders wilted around him.
Kevin Streelman birdied his first two holes and went four over on the next 16. A bogey on No. 10 and double bogey on No. 13 effectively took Oosthuizen out of the race.
Oosthuizen did his best to make things interesting and narrowly missed out on an eagle on No. 16. Unfortunately for the South African, a birdie didn't provide a ton of help at such a late stage in the round.
In terms of those chasing Mickelson, nobody saw his fortunes evaporate in quite the same way Koepka did.
The four-time major champion birdied No. 1 but double-bogeyed No. 2 to set the tone on what proved to be a Sunday to forget.
Despite an uneven front nine, Koepka made the turn at five under to leave himself with a reasonable shot of chasing down Mickelson. Bogeys on Nos. 10, 11 and 13 did him in, though.
Koepka was a mess on and around the green. According to PGATour.com, he lost 0.677 strokes with his putter.
The 31-year-old made a quick return from knee surgery and made the trip to Kiawah Island on the back of missed cuts at the Masters and AT&T Byron Nelson. One can't help but wonder whether the surgically repaired knee played a role in his performance Sunday.
As was the case in the years preceding Tiger Woods' triumph at the 2019 Masters, many fans probably thought they had seen the last of Mickelson winning a major championship. Since his victory in the 2013 Open Championship, he had three top-five finishes and eight missed cuts.
But the stars aligned for the legend at Kiawah Island.
The Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club is the next stop on the PGA Tour.
Only three events are on the docket before the third major championship of the season. The U.S. Open is slated to tee off June 17 at Torrey Pines in San Diego.
