Phil Mickelson's Success and Achievements in Timeline

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

Phil Mickelson, nicknamed "Lefty," is a highly accomplished American professional golfer celebrated for his impressive career, including 45 PGA Tour wins and six major championships. These include three Masters titles, two PGA Championships, and one Open Championship. Notably, he became the oldest major championship winner at the 2021 PGA Championship. Mickelson currently plays in the LIV Golf League, continuing his presence in professional golf.

Sections (5)

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

1990: Wins U.S. Amateur Title

In 1990, Mickelson became the first left-handed swinger to win the U.S. Amateur title, defeating Manny Zerman in the 36-hole final at Cherry Hills.

1990: Leads Sun Devils to NCAA Team Title

In 1990, Mickelson led the Sun Devils to the NCAA team title.

January 1991: Wins Northern Telecom Open

In January 1991, Mickelson won the Northern Telecom Open in Tucson, marking his first PGA Tour event win and making him one of the few golfers to achieve this as an amateur.

1991: Wins Haskins Awards

In 1991, Mickelson won the Haskins Award as the outstanding collegiate golfer.

1992: Wins Haskins Awards

In 1992, Mickelson won the Haskins Award as the outstanding collegiate golfer.

1994: Consecutive USA Teams

On September 6, 2017, days after posting his best finish of the season of T6 at the Dell Technologies Championship, Mickelson was named as a captain's pick for the Presidents Cup. This maintained a streak of 23 consecutive USA teams in the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup, dating back to 1994.

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

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

1997: Historical Win for Tiger Woods in 1997

During the 1997 Masters, Tiger Woods had a historical win that led to strong television ratings in the United States.

1997: Rising in World Ranking

On April 3, Phil Mickelson won the Shell Houston Open and 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, Mickelson won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

2000: Wins Colonial National Invitation

In 2000, Mickelson won the Colonial National Invitation.

2000: Wins Buick Invitational, Ending Tiger Woods' Streak

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

2001: Historical Win for Tiger Woods in 2001

During the 2001 Masters, Tiger Woods had a historical win that led to strong television ratings in the United States.

2001: Wins Greater Hartford Open

In 2001, Mickelson won the Greater Hartford Open.

2002: Wins Greater Hartford Open Again

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

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

In November 2004, Mickelson recorded his career-low 18-hole round with a 59 at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Hawaii.

2004: Wins First Major Championship at the Masters

In 2004, Mickelson secured his first major championship win at the Masters, marking his thirteenth year on the PGA Tour.

September 3, 2007: Wins Deutsche Bank Championship

On September 3, 2007, Mickelson won the Deutsche Bank Championship, beating Tiger Woods while paired together on the final day for the first time.

2008: Inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame

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

2008: Wins Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial

In 2008, Mickelson won the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

2009: Wins Northern Trust Open and WGC-CA Championship

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

2010: Strong Performance at the 2010 Masters

During the 2010 Masters, Phil Mickelson's win positioned him second only to Tiger Woods in major championships among his contemporaries, surpassing Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, and Pádraig Harrington. Mickelson's and other golfers' play made the 2010 Masters have strong television ratings in the United States.

2010: Masters Tournament Victory

In 2010, Phil Mickelson secured a Masters Tournament victory with a 16-under-par performance, besting Lee Westwood by three strokes. This win marked Mickelson's third Masters title and fourth major championship overall. A Saturday surge in the third round was critical, with Mickelson making eagle on the 13th hole and holing out for eagle from 141 yards on the 14th, followed by a near-eagle on the 15th. Mickelson ended up leading Westwood, who struggled on the 12th and 13th holes.

2012: 40th Career Victory on PGA Tour

In 2012, Phil Mickelson debuted at the Humana Challenge, finishing tied for 49th. He then rallied to win the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, marking his 40th career victory on the PGA Tour. The following week, he lost the Northern Trust Open in a three-way playoff, moving him back into the world's top 10.

2013: PGA Tour Birdie Average Leader

As recently as 2013, Phil Mickelson led the PGA Tour in birdie average, showcasing his scoring ability during his prime.

2013: WGC-Mexico Championship Win

On March 4, 2018, Phil Mickelson ended a winless drought by capturing his third WGC championship at the WGC-Mexico Championship. He defeated Justin Thomas on the first extra hole of a sudden-death playoff. The win was Mickelson's 43rd on the PGA Tour and his first since winning the 2013 Open Championship. He also became the oldest winner of a WGC event, at age 47.

2015: 2015 Masters Performance

Before the 2015 Masters, Phil Mickelson's best finish in 2015 was a tie for 17th. At the Masters, Mickelson finished tied for second, four shots behind 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.

2015: Thoughts on the 2013 Open Championship

In an interview before the 2015 Open, Phil Mickelson said, "Two years removed from that win, I still can't believe how much it means to me." Referring to the 2013 Open Championship, when he birdied four of the last six holes and won the title by three strokes.

March 4, 2018: WGC-Mexico Championship Win

November 23, 2018: Capital One's 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 at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas. Mickelson needed four extra holes to beat Woods.

2019: 2019 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Victory

In 2019, Phil Mickelson won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, defeating Paul Casey. The win marked Mickelson's 44th career title on the PGA Tour and his fifth at Pebble Beach, tying Mark O'Meara. At 48 years of age, he also became the oldest winner of that event.

October 2020: Victory at Dominion Energy Charity Classic

In October 2020, Phil Mickelson secured a win at the Dominion Energy Charity Classic in Virginia, marking his second consecutive victory on the PGA Tour Champions.

May 2021: PGA Championship Win

In May 2021, at the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Phil Mickelson won the tournament, becoming the oldest major champion at 50. He finished at 6-under, defeating Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen by two strokes. Thousands of fans swarmed him on the 18th fairway in celebration.

October 2021: Victory at Constellation Furyk & Friends

In October 2021, Phil Mickelson won the inaugural Constellation Furyk & Friends in Jacksonville, Florida, marking his third win in four career starts on the PGA Tour Champions.

November 2021: Charles Schwab Cup Championship Win

In November 2021, Phil Mickelson won the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix, Arizona. This was Mickelson's fourth win in six career starts on PGA Tour Champions.