Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Phil Mickelson

Discover the career path of Phil Mickelson, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Philip Alfred Mickelson, nicknamed "Lefty," is a prominent American professional golfer currently playing in the LIV Golf League. A highly accomplished player, he has secured 45 PGA Tour victories, including six major championships: three Masters titles, two PGA Championships, and one Open Championship. Notably, Mickelson became the oldest major championship winner in history at the 2021 PGA Championship at the age of 50. He is known for his left-handed playing style despite being naturally right-handed.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1954: Gene Littler Wins San Diego Open

In 1954, Gene Littler won the San Diego Open.

1956: Doug Sanders wins Canadian Open

In 1956, Doug Sanders won the Canadian Open.

1963: Bob Charles Wins The Open Championship

In 1963, Sir Bob Charles, a New Zealander, won The Open Championship.

August 1985: Scott Verplank Wins Western Open

In August 1985, Scott Verplank won the Western Open, marking the last time an amateur had won a PGA Tour event before Phil Mickelson's win in 1991.

1989: Missed Waste Management Phoenix Open

In 1989, Mickelson missed the Waste Management Phoenix Open for the first time.

1990: NCAA Team Title & Haskins Award

In 1990, Phil Mickelson led the Sun Devils to the NCAA team title and won his first Haskins Award as the outstanding collegiate golfer.

1990: U.S. Amateur Title Win

In 1990, Phil Mickelson won the U.S. Amateur title.

January 1991: Northern Telecom Open Win

In January 1991, Phil Mickelson, as an amateur, won the Northern Telecom Open in Tucson, becoming one of the few amateurs in history to win a PGA Tour event.

1991: Won as an Amateur

In 1991, Mickelson won as an amateur and therefore did not receive any prize money.

1991: Earns PGA Tour Exemption

In 1991, Phil Mickelson's win at the tournament in Tucson earned him a two-year exemption from the tour's qualifying process (Q-School).

June 1992: Turns Professional

In June 1992, Phil Mickelson graduated from ASU and turned professional, bypassing Q-School due to his 1991 Tucson win.

1992: Haskins Award

In 1992, Phil Mickelson achieved his third Haskins Award as the outstanding collegiate golfer.

1992: Low Amateur at Masters Tournament

In April 1992, Phil Mickelson was the low amateur at the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia.

1994: Presidents Cup Selection

On September 6, 2017, Phil Mickelson was named as a captain's pick for the Presidents Cup. This selection maintained a streak of 23 consecutive USA team appearances in the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup, dating back to 1994.

1996: Wins Byron Nelson Golf Classic & World Series of Golf

In 1996, Phil Mickelson won the Byron Nelson Golf Classic and the World Series of Golf.

1997: First Missed Cut at the Masters

In 2014, Phil Mickelson missed the cut at the Masters for the first time since 1997. He failed to contend at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst in his first bid to complete the career grand slam.

1997: Rise in World Ranking

On April 3, Phil Mickelson rose to No. 3 in the world ranking, while Tiger Woods fell to No. 7. Mickelson had not been ranked above Woods since the week prior to the 1997 Masters Tournament.

1998: Wins AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am

In 1998, Phil Mickelson won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

1999: Consistent Top-Ten Finishes in Majors

Between 1999 and 2003, Phil Mickelson had 17 top-ten finishes and six second- or third-place finishes in major tournaments.

2000: Wins Colonial National Invitation

In 2000, Phil Mickelson won the Colonial National Invitation.

2000: Buick Invitational Win Ends Tiger Woods' Streak

In 2000, Phil Mickelson's win at the Buick Invitational ended Tiger Woods's streak of six consecutive victories on the PGA Tour.

2001: British Open Runner-Up

At The Open Championship at Royal Troon in 2016, Mickelson's 267 total set a record score for a runner-up in the British Open, and only trails Mickelson's 266 at the 2001 PGA Championship as the lowest total by a runner-up in major championship history.

2001: Wins Greater Hartford Open

In 2001, Phil Mickelson won the Greater Hartford Open.

2002: Wins Greater Hartford Open

In 2002, Phil Mickelson won the Greater Hartford Open for the second time.

2003: Mike Weir Wins The Masters

In 2003, Mike Weir won The Masters.

November 2004: Career-Low Round at PGA Grand Slam of Golf

In November 2004, Phil Mickelson shot a career-low 59 at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Hawaii.

2004: Masters Win and Left-Handed Golfers in Majors

In 2004, Phil Mickelson won his first major at the Masters, becoming the third left-handed golfer to win a major.

2004: Masters Tournament Win

In 2004, Phil Mickelson won the Masters Tournament, marking his first major championship victory on the PGA Tour.

2005: PGA Championship Win

In 2005, Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championship, adding another major championship to his list of achievements.

2006: Masters Tournament Win

In 2006, Phil Mickelson secured his second Masters Tournament victory.

April 2007: Leaves Rick Smith

In April 2007, Phil Mickelson, frustrated with his driving accuracy, decided to leave his longtime swing coach, Rick Smith.

September 3, 2007: Wins Deutsche Bank Championship

On September 3, 2007, Phil Mickelson won the Deutsche Bank Championship, beating Tiger Woods on the final day.

2007: Pays Holli Dobler's Tuition

In 2007, Phil Mickelson volunteered to pay tuition for Holli Dobler, Conrad Dobler's daughter, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

2008: Wins Crowne Plaza Invitational

In 2008, Phil Mickelson won the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial with a −14, showcasing a remarkable approach shot on the final hole.

2009: Wins Northern Trust Open and WGC-CA Championship

In 2009, Phil Mickelson won the Northern Trust Open and the WGC-CA Championship, marking his 35th and 36th tour victories respectively.

2009: Returns to PGA Tour and Runner-Up Finish at U.S. Open

In June 2009, Phil Mickelson returned to the PGA Tour after his wife's cancer diagnosis, finishing as runner-up at the U.S. Open.

2009: Wins The Tour Championship

In September 2009, Phil Mickelson won The Tour Championship, finishing second in the FedEx Cup standings.

2010: Strong Showing at 2010 Masters

During the 2010 Masters, Tiger Woods made a comeback after a scandal-ridden absence, tying for 4th place. Phil Mickelson's win at the 2010 Masters placed him second to Woods in major championships among his contemporaries, ahead of Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, and Pádraig Harrington.

2010: U.S. Open and World Ranking Opportunities

In 2010, Mickelson finished T4 at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Later in the 2010 season, Mickelson had opportunities to become world number one, but disappointing finishes led to Lee Westwood taking the top spot.

2010: Masters Tournament Win

In 2010, Phil Mickelson claimed his third Masters Tournament title.

2011: Second-highest Paid Athlete in the US

In 2011, Mickelson was estimated to be the second-highest paid athlete in the United States, earning over $62 million, with $53 million coming from endorsements.

2011: Farmers Insurance Open

In 2011, Phil Mickelson started his season at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course and finished second after Bubba Watson won the tournament.

2012: Bubba Watson Wins The Masters

In 2012, Bubba Watson won The Masters.

2012: Mixed Results in 2012 Season

In 2012, Phil Mickelson experienced mixed results, including a T-7th finish at the HP Byron Nelson Championship, a withdrawal from the Memorial Tournament due to mental fatigue, and a T-65th finish at the U.S. Open.

2012: PGA Tour Victory and Playoff Loss

In 2012, Phil Mickelson had a victory and a close loss. He won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, marking his 40th career PGA Tour victory. The following week, he lost the Northern Trust Open in a playoff.

2012: 2012 FedEx Cup Playoffs and Ryder Cup

In 2012, during the FedEx Cup Playoffs, Phil Mickelson finished T38 at The Barclays and T4 at the Deutsche Bank Championship. At the BMW Championship, he tied for 2nd. He had a 3-1 record at the Ryder Cup, but the USA team lost.

2013: Seeking to End a Winless Drought

At the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Phil Mickelson entered the final round with a two-stroke lead, his first 54-hole lead since the 2013 U.S. Open and was seeking to end a winless drought dating back 52 worldwide events to the 2013 Open Championship.

2013: Led PGA Tour in Birdie Average

In 2013, Mickelson led the PGA Tour in birdie average.

2013: Open Championship Win

In 2013, Phil Mickelson won The Open Championship, marking another significant achievement in his golfing career.

2013: Early 2013 Season Performances

In January of 2013, Phil Mickelson began his season by playing in the Humana Challenge, where he finished T37. His next event was the following week in his home event near San Diego at the Farmers Insurance Open where he finished T51.

2014: Bubba Watson Wins The Masters

In 2014, Bubba Watson won The Masters.

2015: Hiring a New Swing Coach

After leaving Butch Harmon, Phil Mickelson hired Andrew Getson of Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, as his new swing coach and worked together in the 2015 offseason.

2015: Estimated annual income

In 2015, Forbes estimated Mickelson's annual income was $51 million.

2015: Looking Back at 2013 Open Championship Win

Phil Mickelson reflected on his 2013 Open Championship victory in an interview before the 2015 Open, expressing how much it meant to him.

2015: Second Place at the Masters

Prior to the 2015 Masters, Mickelson's best finish in 2015 was a tie for 17th. At the Masters, Mickelson finished tied for second with Justin Rose, four shots behind champion Jordan Spieth. The second-place finish was Mickelson's tenth such finish in a major, placing him second all-time only to Jack Nicklaus in that regard.

2016: Top-Five Finish at CareerBuilder Challenge

In 2016, under Andrew Getson's guidance, Phil Mickelson made his debut at the CareerBuilder Challenge and finished in a tie for third place. This was only Mickelson's fifth top-five finish since his win at the 2013 Open Championship.

2016: Return After Sports Hernia Surgeries

In the fall of 2016, Phil Mickelson had sports hernia surgeries, and his unexpected return at the CareerBuilder Challenge led to a T-21 finish. He followed with a T14 at the Farmers Insurance Open and a T-16 finish at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

March 4, 2018: WGC-Mexico Championship Win

On March 4, 2018, Phil Mickelson won the WGC-Mexico Championship, ending a winless drought since 2013. He defeated Justin Thomas in a playoff to secure his 43rd PGA Tour victory and became the oldest winner of a WGC event at age 47.

November 23, 2018: The Match Victory

On November 23, 2018, Phil Mickelson won "Capital One's The Match", a $9,000,000 winner-takes-all match against Tiger Woods, after four extra holes at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas.

2018: Controversial Incident at U.S. Open

During the third round of the 2018 U.S. Open, Phil Mickelson incurred a two-stroke penalty for hitting his ball while it was still moving, resulting in a score of 81.

2018: Ryder Cup Performance

In 2018, Phil Mickelson was a captain's pick for Team USA at the Ryder Cup. He lost his matches and Team USA lost the event.

June 16, 2020: Became eligible for PGA Tour Champions

On June 16, 2020, Mickelson became eligible for the PGA Tour Champions on his 50th birthday.

August 2020: Eliminated from FedEx Cup Playoffs

In August 2020, Mickelson was eliminated from the FedEx Cup Playoffs following The Northern Trust at TPC Boston.

2021: Withdrawal from the PGA Championship

In 2021, Mickelson decided to withdraw from the PGA Championship which he won earlier.

2021: PGA Championship Win

In 2021, Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championship, becoming the oldest major championship winner in history at the age of 50 years, 11 months, and 7 days.

June 6, 2022: Announcement to Play in LIV Golf Invitational Series

On June 6, 2022, LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman announced that Mickelson would play in the first event on the LIV Golf Invitational Series beginning on June 9, 2022.