Phil Mickelson's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Phil Mickelson.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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.

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.

2008: Inducted into National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame

In 2008, Phil Mickelson was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.

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: Wins The Tour Championship

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

2010: Masters Tournament Win

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

2012: Bubba Watson Wins The Masters

In 2012, Bubba Watson won The Masters.

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: Inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame

In 2012, Phil Mickelson was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

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.

2014: Bubba Watson Wins The Masters

In 2014, Bubba Watson won The Masters.

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: 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.

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.