Phil Mickelson shows who he really is with moment in car park at US Open
Phil Mickelson left Oakmont and the US Open without speaking to the media on Friday, as he faces up to the real possibility that it could have been his final appearance in the tournament
Golf legend Phil Mickelson 's US Open career may have drawn to a close at Oakmont, with the 54 year old American missing the cut and departing without speaking to the media. With his 55th birthday looming on Monday, Mickelson's chances of securing a career Grand Slam are slipping away.
Mickelson's tournament exit was sealed when he missed a crucial putt in the rain. But despite the disappointment, he showed a touch of class as he left the course. Departing the iconic venue, Mickelson was seen distributing gifts to security personnel.
In a lighter moment, Mickelson chatted with fellow golfer Ben Griffin about sunglasses, discussing the Uswing Mojing model that he has favoured for several years.
Griffin recalled: "He was wearing a different pair of sunglasses, but was getting ready to put on the same models that I wear, the Uswing Mojing sunglasses.
"He started wearing them four or five years ago. I think his first week might have been when he won the PGA Championship. The sunglasses are designed for golf and he pointed them out and I was like: Yeah, where are yours at?'
"He was getting ready to put his on. He was wearing some flashy Raybans or whatever to warm up in. But, yeah, Phil is a great guy, it was good to talk to him," reports the Mirror US.
Griffin reflected on the possibility that this could be Mickelson's last shot at glory, saying: "Yeah, unfortunately my memories of him are not winning because I know he needs it for the Grand Slam. Growing up, I enjoyed watching him and Tiger [Woods] go head-to-head, along with other big names.
"Phil is a guy that I definitely watched throughout my junior golf and throughout childhood and was a good guy to kind of follow and be inspired by.
"I think Tiger kind of stole the show for most of my childhood, just the way he was so dominant and winning majors. It was pretty inspiring.
"I think that's why the talent level is so good nowadays, especially with kids coming out because we're kind of the first generation of guys that grew up watching Tiger and he made golf really cool and there's why there's such a huge influx of new golfers and the talent pool is growing.
"Whereas when Tiger first came on Tour, there was a lot of golfers still and a lot of high-quality golfers, but I think nowadays the pool of people that play competitive golf is just way higher.
"Because of that, it's way more difficult, and you're not seeing too many dominant players, except for maybe Scottie Scheffler."
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
US Open golf: final round on day four at Oakmont
Update: Date: 2025-06-15T17:00:22.000Z Title: Preamble Content: The good news for Sam Burns: he's in fine form after last week's near miss at the Canadian Open; his 65 on Friday is the best round of the week, proof positive that the five-time PGA Tour winner has the game to get the job done around Oakmont; he's one of only two players (along with Ryan Fox) yet to three-putt on treacherous greens once described by a USGA bigwig as the 'scariest in golf'. The bad news for Sam Burns: only three players out of nine have converted a 54-hole lead at an Oakmont US Open into victory; one of the biggest final-round comebacks in US Open history occurred at Oakmont (Johnny Miller winning in 1973 from six back); someone's won from seven behind going into the final round of a US Open before, Arnold Palmer in 1960, and if anyone in the field can go one better than Arnie, it's surely Scottie Scheffler. So history proves that nothing's certain. And with the leaderboard packed tight, featuring plenty of big names waiting to pounce, pretty much anything could happen if the leading trio stumble. Most of it unlikely, admittedly, but all of it possible. Here's what the top of the tree looked like after 54 holes … -4: Sam Burns -3: Adam Scott, JJ Spaun -1: Viktor Hovland E: Carlos Ortiz +1: Tyrrell Hatton, Thriston Lawrence +2: Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen +3: Robert MacIntyre, Cameron Young +4: Marc Leishman, Chris Gotterup, Scottie Scheffler, Nick Taylor, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Max Greyserman, Emiliano Grillo, Russell Henley, Victor Perez, Ben Griffin … and here are the tee-times (all BST). It's on! 12.52 Cam Davis (Aus) 13.03 Matthieu Pavon (Fra), Jordan Smith (Eng) 13.14 Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Harris English (US) 13.25 Ryan McCormick (US), Taylor Pendrith (Can) 13.36 Johnny Keefer (US), Michael Kim (US) 13.47 James Nicholas (US), Brian Harman (US) 13.58 Philip Barbaree Jr (US), Im Sung-jae (Kor) 14.14 Niklas Norgaard (Den), Denny McCarthy (US) 14.25 Daniel Berger (US), Tony Finau (US) 14.36 Rory McIlroy (NI), Andrew Novak (US) 14.47 Adam Schenk (US), Mackenzie Hughes (Can) 14.58 Justin Hastings -a- (Aus), Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng) 15.09 Collin Morikawa (US), Rasmus Hojgaard (Den) 15.20 Ryan Fox (NZ), Corey Conners (Can) 15.36 Patrick Reed (US), Laurie Canter (Eng) 15.47Jon Rahm (Spa), Tom Kim (Kor) 15.58 Maverick McNealy (US), Xander Schauffele (US) 16.09 Kim Si-woo (Kor), Jhonattan Vegas (Col) 16.20 Aaron Rai (Eng), Trevor Cone (US) 16.31 Jordan Spieth (US), JT Poston (US) 16.42 Brooks Koepka (US), Thomas Detry (US) 16.58 Jason Day (US), Chris Kirk (US) 17.09 Keegan Bradley (US), Sam Stevens (US) 17.20 Matt Wallace (Eng), Ryan Gerard (US) 17.31 Ben Griffin (US), Victor Perez (Fra) 17.42 Russell Henley (US), Emiliano Grillo (Arg) 17.53 Max Greyserman (US), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (SA) 18.04 Nick Taylor (Can), Scottie Scheffler (US) 18.20 Chris Gotterup (US), Marc Leishman (Aus) 18.31 Cameron Young (US), Robert MacIntyre (Sco) 18.42 Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (Den), Thriston Lawrence (SA) 18.53 Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Carlos Ortiz (Mex) 19.04 Viktor Hovland (Nor), JJ Spaun (US) 19.15 Adam Scott (Aus), Sam Burns (US)
Times
an hour ago
- Times
US Open live: leaderboard, scores and analysis from round 4
That's better from McIlroy, who plays a couple of beautiful approaches into the par-three 13th and par-four 14th to get to three under for the day and seven over for the tournament. There are birdies to be had out there, which will encourage the chasing pack behind Burns. Among them now is Thomas Detry and Jason Day after their early birdies. Scottie Scheffler tees off in less than ten minutes. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. These are the previous five occasions at the US Open in which a player has held a one-shot lead through 54 holes and their eventual finishing position:1999 Payne Stewart (won)2008 Tiger Woods (won in playoff)2009 Ricky Barnes (T-2)2013 Phil Mickelson (T-2)2017 Brian Harman (T-2) A birdie at the 11th follows consecutive bogeys for McIlroy, whose frustration is plain to see. On Friday, he smashed a tee marker with a wood on the 17th hole having earlier tossed another club in frustration. He boils over again in this final round, but this time with arguably the smoothest club throw ever at a major championship… Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Shots are difficult to pick up and even easier to lose at Oakmont but Ryan Fox's start to his final round should encourage players further back in that Burns's lead on four under is not unassailable. A successful 11ft putt at the 7th gives the New Zealander his third birdie of the day and he is now into a tie for 21st. Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele have also made decent starts, giving an indication that these could be favourable scoring conditions. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. The statistics of the four players under par so far in this tournament make for fascinating reading as each one is excelling in different fields. Sam Burns, the leader, has been the second best in the field with his approach play and around the greens, but ranks 53rd out of 66 off the tee. Adam Scott has meanwhile been the best player off the tee but has struggled around the greens. JJ Spaun has been the best putter in the field, while Viktor Hovland's approach play has been the best — although he has been poor off the tee and putting. Rick Broadbent, Oakmont Golf, and golfers, do not help themselves sometimes. Tron Carter, of No Laying Up podcast, was the first to report that Wyndham Clark, the 2023 US Open champion, had trashed his locker after missing the cut here. A photo is now doing the rounds on social media. The Times has sought confirmation from his management, while the USGA refused to confirm or deny the report. If he is guilty then why keep it in-house? Alas, this has always been golf's way. Last month Clark broke his driver as he flung it into advertising hoardings at the US PGA. He issued a fulsome apology after that one. 'My actions were uncalled for and completely inappropriate, making it clear that I have things I need to work on. 'I hold myself to a high standard, trying to always play for something bigger than myself, and yesterday I fell short of those standards. For that I am truly sorry. I promise to improve the way I handle my frustrations on the course going forward, and hope you all can forgive me in due time.' McIlroy said yesterday that he wanted his final round to be done 'in under 4½ hours' so he could 'get out of here' but he is stringing some of his best golf of the week together. He holes a 21ft putt for birdie at the par-four 7th then almost makes a 54ft putt at the 301-yard par-three 8th. He is yet to make a bogey and is now eight over for the tournament. Fox is also off to a flyer and birdies at the 2nd and 4th have got him to six over. Rick Broadbent, Oakmont So here we go. Fair to say it had been a slow-burner at Oakmont, but today could be a cracker. Adam Scott is there to prove there is life after 40. Justin Rose was a shot away at the Masters but could Scott, pushing 45, get over the line? Three rounds at par or better — nobody else has managed that — and the lack of a star name in front of him will make many think he can, but plenty have a chance here. In the past 20 years the winner has always been within four of the lead going into Sunday. Tyrrell Hatton is just beyond that but his approach play was stellar on Saturday, and Bob MacIntyre can make a lot birdies and will be relishing the chance of chasing. You can easily make a double bogey here and scores can go south very quickly, but overcast and softer conditions should provide opportunities for the adventurous. Buckle up. How hard is Oakmont playing so far? Well, of the 26 players already out on the course, only two of them — McIlroy and Ryan Fox, who won the Canadian Open last week — are under par. McIlroy has had three good looks for birdie at the 3rd, 4th and 5th after that strong start but putts from between eight and 28ft have stayed high. He remains at nine over. Spain's Jon Rahm has meanwhile just started his final round by finding the right side of the 1st fairway. Sitting just three shots off the lead is Viktor Hovland, who — like Burns and Spaun — is also bidding to win his first major. The Norwegian reached a career-high third in 2022, won the FedEx Cup in 2023, but gave an honest assessment of his frailties in March after a run of four missed cuts in five tournaments. 'It sucks — I just don't have control over what I'm doing,' he said. Two days late, Hovland had his hands on the trophy at the Valspar Championship. 'Stupid, stupid game,' he wrote on social media afterwards and he has now posted rounds of 71, 68 and 70 this week. Statistically, he has been the best player from tee to green at Oakmont, his wedge play is remarkably improved after extensive work with chipping guru Joe Mayo, and he could become the man to beat if his putter gets hot today. Rick Broadbent, Oakmont McIlroy may have become a puzzling enigma since completing the career grand slam at Augusta in April, but a bevy of less-fancied players are relishing the prospect of contending for a major on one of the world's toughest courses. Sam Burns reached 54 holes at four under par, a shot clear of an age-defying Adam Scott and JJ Spaun. 'I'm pretty happy to be one behind and not sleeping on the lead,' Scott said after a superb round of 67. 'This would be huge for me.' Rolling in the putts and rolling back the years, the popular Aussie has the chance to become the second-oldest US Open champion at 44 and set a record for the longest gap between majors; his first came at Augusta in 2013. Viktor Hovland dropped a shot on the last but played some lustrous irons and is only three off the lead. They are the only men under par. • Rick Broadbent: Sam Burns and Adam Scott lead charge as Rory McIlroy heads for exit So how do we think Oakmont is going to play today? Well, there are only four players in the entire field under par — Burns, Scott, Spaun and Hovland — and a number of players including McIlroy have lost their temper as they grapple with the brutal conditions. Through three rounds, Oakmont's lightning greens have produced nearly twice as many three putts (462) as Augusta did for the entire 2025 Masters (238). To make matters even more challenging today, the tee box at the par-three 8th sets the hole at its full 301 yards. There is every possibility that the winning score will be over par later today. After slumping to ten over par following three frustrating days, Rory McIlroy could no longer let his golf do the talking yesterday. So having refused to speak to the media after six consecutive rounds at the majors, he said that he had not really cared if he had made the cut or not. His amended ambition for Sunday? 'A round in under 4½ hours and get out of here.' McIlroy is clearly struggling for motivation after his Masters victory in April but has made an early birdie at the 2nd at the start of his final round. Good afternoon, golf fans, and what a day this promises to be. There is no major quite like the US Open when it comes to punishing, gruelling golf and, even against that benchmark, the course at Oakmont can be particularly vindictive. Sam Burns comes into the day on four under and with a one-shot lead over Adam Scott and JJ Spaun, while Viktor Hovland and Tyrrell Hatton are also in the chasing pack. On a course where shots are so tough to gain and even easier to lose, that could change very quickly. Stay with us for updates and Rick Broadbent's expert analysis from Oakmont.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
US Open 2025 live: Day 4 leaderboard and latest updates from Oakmont
Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of the fourth round of the US Open from Oakmont. Saturday ended with Sam Burns from Louisiana on four-under for the tournament leading from JJ Spaun, his third-round playing partner, and Australia's Adam Scott by one stroke with Viktor Hovland, the best European, two strokes further back and Tyrrell Hatton, the leading Briton, two shots behind Norway's finest on one-over. Burns saved par at the final hole following Spaun's bogey after both had landed their drives at the 18th in the right rough, but Spaun's next shot found a greenside bunker and Burns flew his to the back part of the green. Spaun could not get up and down in two, while Burns managed a two-putt to stay at four-under. Burns, Spaun and Hovland are all vying for their first major championship having contended at relatively few majors before this week. Oakmont received a dousing of rain overnight and another quick and heavy shower early in the leaders' round, adding to a historically rainy past month in the Pittsburgh area. The course played somewhat softer and easier as a result, with a scoring average of 72.66, more than two shots lower than Friday. 'We had a wind switch before we even teed off,' Spaun said. 'So given that and how soft and wet everything was, it played longer, but it kind of allowed for longer irons in to really stop. You were able to control your landing spot, just because of how soft they were.' Unlike his peers on the leaderboard, Scott, whose 67 was matched only by Mexico's Carlos Ortíz (even par), has a major win under his belt (the 2013 Masters) and played at the past two US Opens at Oakmont. 'I would say I was less overwhelmed coming to Oakmont this time, and that's not a knock on the golf course, but maybe just a couple trips around the US Open here, I knew what to expect,' Scott said. If Scott outlasts the younger competition, at 44, the 'Big Queenslander' would be the second-oldest winner in US Open history behind Hale Irwin in 1990. It would also mark the longest gap between a player's first and second major wins; it's been 12 years since he slipped on the Green Jacket at Augusta National. 'It would be super fulfilling,' Scott said. 'Everyone out here has got their journey, you know. Putting ourselves in these positions doesn't just happen by fluke. It's not easy to do it.'
