Phil Mickelson walks in silence in possibly his last U.S. Open
OAKMONT, Pa. — As Phil Mickelson, aka Lefty, aka Phil the Thrill, aka FIGJAM, aka one of the two most famous golfers of the 21st century, teed off Thursday in what might be his final U.S. Open, there were more security guards than journalists following him. And there were two security guards.
Clad in HyFlyers gear, looking more trim than he ever did during his apex of popularity, Mickelson — like many of his fellow competitors at Oakmont — played well on the back nine and struggled on the front. And like most of his fellow competitors, he walked in virtual silence from the galleries, with only an occasional 'Go Phil!' punctuating the silence.
Advertisement
By this point, Mickelson's fall from golf's good graces isn't just well-documented, it's canon. Once the darling of the golf world — the rascally, cocky yin to Tiger Woods' steely yang — Mickelson lived a charmed life, getting himself into and out of trouble both on and off the golf course. He somehow radiated arrogant confidence while remaining a hero of the everyman.
But then the Saudis came calling, and Mickelson couldn't resist their siren call, or the chance to stick it to the PGA Tour. Even though Mickelson turned out to be right about the ways the PGA Tour needed to change, the way he went about it with cynical opportunism turned the majority of his former fans against him.
Advertisement
Mickelson and the U.S. Open have a long and complicated history all their own. He's finished in second place six different times, an incredible run of almost-good-luck that's kept him from claiming the career grand slam. Matters bottomed out in 2018, when Mickelson, in frustration, hit a still-moving ball at Shinnecock en route to a T48 finish. He's missed the cut at four of the last five U.S. Opens, including the last three in a row. And as of this year, he's all out of the exemptions that he'd earned for winning the 2021 PGA Championship … meaning, if he wants back in, he'll need to either receive a special exemption from the USGA, or play his way back in.
'We hope he earns his way in, and I think he'd tell you the same thing,' USGA chief championships officer John Bodenhamer said on Wednesday. 'That's what he did last time. We gave him one, and then he went out and won the PGA Championship. So, wouldn't put it past him.'
Phil Mickelson gives a thumbs up as he takes part during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Expecting a performance that would qualify him to play in another U.S. Open is a pretty tall order at this point. Mickelson has three top-10 finishes in seven LIV Golf events this year, including a T4 last week in Virginia where he spent time in the lead.
Advertisement
For a moment on Thursday, it appeared that momentum had carried through to Oakmont. He made the turn at even par, good enough to stay within sight of the leaders. But a bogey-bogey-double start to his second nine effectively crushed his day, leaving him eight strokes behind clubhouse leader J.J. Spaun. Mickelson declined to speak to the media after he finished, and will have perhaps just one more opportunity to perform before a U.S. Open gallery.
Thirty-one years ago, Arnold Palmer also bade farewell to the U.S. Open, also at Oakmont. He walked up the 18th hole to waves of applause and tears. Regardless of how his career has flickered in the last few years, Mickelson will likely receive the same treatment. It will be a well-deserved coda to his career, but you can't help but wonder what the reception would be without the last few years coloring his reputation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
U.S. Open live leaderboard: Scottie Scheffler struggling, Brooks Koepka in the hunt
Oakmont is biting back. Only a handful of players remain under par midway through Round 2. Two of those players — Sam Burns and Viktor Hovland — are putting together stellar rounds ... while everyone else is being grounded into paste. The scoring is going to get even more difficult for the afternoon wave, which doesn't bode well for first-round leader J.J. Spaun, who pulled out one of the best rounds that Oakmont Country Club has ever seen during a U.S. Open on Thursday. Spaun fired a bogey-free 66 to kick off the U.S. Open, which gave him a one-shot lead over the field. He's playing in his first U.S. Open, and he carded what was just the second bogey-free round at a U.S. Open at Oakmont. Some big names are in danger of missing the cut, which you can track here. Stick with Yahoo Sports for all of the updates throughout the second round of the U.S. Open. All times ET Friday, June 13Peacock: 6:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. (Watch U.S. Open All-Access on Peacock)NBC: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m. Saturday, June 14USA: 10 a.m. - 12 12 p.m. - 8 p.m. Sunday, June 15USA: 9 a.m. - 12 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. (As of 12:30 p.m. ET) 1. J.J. Spaun -4 (12:52 p.m. ET) 2. Sam Burns -3Thriston Lawrence (2:20) T4. Viktor Hovland -2Si Woo Kim (1:36) T6. Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen -1Ben Griffin (1:14)Thomas Detry (1:47) For full leaderboard, click here Sam Burns finishes his round with a 65, 5-under par. Only two rounds have been lower in U.S. Open history at Oakmont: a 63 by Johnny Miller in 1973 and Loren Roberts' 64 at the 1994 tournament. WHAT A ROUND! 🔥Sam Burns posts a spectacular Friday 65, the best we've seen this week. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 That leaves Burns one shot behind leader J.J. Spaun, who is just beginning his second round. Taylor Pendrith, tied for 16th at 2 over, nearly hit a spectacular shot on No. 1, only to have it painfully lip out. So close! Taylor Pendrith caught the downslope on 1 and almost pulled off the spectacular. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 Take a look at Brooks Koepka's scorecard: 7 bogeys, six pars and four birdies. It's good enough, right now, to be T10. Two birdies in the last four holes have Scottie Scheffler at +3, giving him a little more breathing room between himself and the cut line. The irony in this is that Scheffler now has three birdies on the front nine, which is playing three strokes harder than the back nine. And he needed it, otherwise he might have been heading home early. Now, it's looking like he'll make it to the weekend, and with how quickly things can change at Oakmont, he's not yet out of it. Between them, Viktor Hovland (-4) and Sam Burns (-5) are 9-under on their rounds. No other players on the course are better than -2, and most are above par. Hovland, after his fifth birdie of the day (to go along with an eagle), is now just one back of Spaun, who probably doesn't want to tee off at this point. Five birdies. One Hovland 🇳🇴 is back in a tie for 2nd. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 How? Simply, how is Sam Burns 5-under on his round while pretty much everyone else on the course right now is wanting to be anywhere else? Well, maybe it's because Sam Burns is an elite putter, and when you're an elite putter, you make long putts, and at Oakmont, there are a lot of long putts, which ... fits Burns' game perfectly. Maybe this is why he's the betting favorite. Now, here is how to bring Oakmont to its knees, courtesy of Victor Perez at the 192-yard sixth hole: 🚨 ACE ALERT 🚨Victor Perez 🇫🇷 with a great shot and an even better celebration! — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 It's just the second ever hole-in-one at Oakmont in a U.S. Open, and the first since 1983. A quick look at the betting odds over at Bet MGM and, well, Sam Burns is now the favorite at +700. Next up: J.J. Spaun and Viktor Hovland at +1000. Scottie Scheffler is still at just +1600, fifth best, even though he's nine shots back. If someone offers you an even-par 70, take it an run. You'll be the Round 2 leader. OK, so Oakmont is grinding everyone into a pulp, except maybe Sam Burns who's somehow 4-under on his round. But Brooks Koepka, who had it to 3-under an hour or so ago, is now at +1, after a fourth bogey in five holes. The latest came after he was next to the green at No. 4, a par 5, in two. From there, four strokes, dropped shot, frustration settling in Left, left, left, that's pretty much been Scottie Scheffler off the tee at Oakmont the last two days. And so after yet another drive he lost to the left, even Scheffler is left frustrated. Oakmont can frustrate even the most even-keeled players. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 That led to another bogey, pushing him back to +5, on the wrong side of the current cut line. A double bogey at No. 2 for Hovland is, well, ouch. And he was probably lucky to get out of there with only that much damage. And just like that, Scottie Scheffler is on the good side of the cut line. A birdie at No. 2 — his 11th hole — has him back to +4. That's right on the cut number. It should be noted, the front nine (where Scheffler is now) is playing four strokes above par, so Scheffler still has a lot of work to do to make the weekend. It's another bogey for Scottie Scheffler, this one at the first, to move him to +5. As of now, that would be on the wrong side of the cut line. No one is putting up a score Friday ... except for Viktor Hovland, who rolled in a lengthy birdie putt at No. 1 to get it back to 3-under, one off the lead. After a birdie at No. 17 got him to 3-under, one shot off the lead, Brooks Koepka has bogeyed each of the last three holes. He's back to even par Here's how the cut works at the U.S. Open: Top 60 and ties, pretty simple. What does that mean? Currently, the cutline would be +4. That pus the following players on the wrong side: Jordan Spieth (+5)Tony FinauDustin Johnson (+5)Patrick Cantlay (+6)Justin Thomas (+ After putting his tee shot on the short par 4 17th just in front of the green, Scottie Scheffler needed four shots to get it in the hole. That's a bogey, his second in three holes, and pushes him to +4. It's been a tough go at the majors for Viktor Hovland, who after some top-5 finishes a few years ago, hasn't been a factor of late. But after an eagle at No. 17, he's got himself to 3-under, just one back of the lead. Keep the hole-outs coming on 17! Viktor Hovland cards an eagle to match Koepka at 3-under. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 It won't show up on the scorecard, but Collin Morikawa's epic par putt at 15 is the kind of stroke that keeps you in this thing at Oakmont. Not all U.S. Open pars are created equal! Witness this 58-foot bomb from Collin Morikawa at two-time major champion stays right in the hunt at even par. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 (As of 12:30 p.m. ET) 1. J.J. Spaun -4 (12:52 p.m. ET) 2. Sam Burns -3Thriston Lawrence (2:20) T4. Viktor Hovland -2Si Woo Kim (1:36) T6. Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen -1Ben Griffin (1:14)Thomas Detry (1:47) For full leaderboard, click here Sam Burns finishes his round with a 65, 5-under par. Only two rounds have been lower in U.S. Open history at Oakmont: a 63 by Johnny Miller in 1973 and Loren Roberts' 64 at the 1994 tournament. WHAT A ROUND! 🔥Sam Burns posts a spectacular Friday 65, the best we've seen this week. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 That leaves Burns one shot behind leader J.J. Spaun, who is just beginning his second round. Taylor Pendrith, tied for 16th at 2 over, nearly hit a spectacular shot on No. 1, only to have it painfully lip out. So close! Taylor Pendrith caught the downslope on 1 and almost pulled off the spectacular. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 Take a look at Brooks Koepka's scorecard: 7 bogeys, six pars and four birdies. It's good enough, right now, to be T10. Two birdies in the last four holes have Scottie Scheffler at +3, giving him a little more breathing room between himself and the cut line. The irony in this is that Scheffler now has three birdies on the front nine, which is playing three strokes harder than the back nine. And he needed it, otherwise he might have been heading home early. Now, it's looking like he'll make it to the weekend, and with how quickly things can change at Oakmont, he's not yet out of it. Between them, Viktor Hovland (-4) and Sam Burns (-5) are 9-under on their rounds. No other players on the course are better than -2, and most are above par. Hovland, after his fifth birdie of the day (to go along with an eagle), is now just one back of Spaun, who probably doesn't want to tee off at this point. Five birdies. One Hovland 🇳🇴 is back in a tie for 2nd. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 How? Simply, how is Sam Burns 5-under on his round while pretty much everyone else on the course right now is wanting to be anywhere else? Well, maybe it's because Sam Burns is an elite putter, and when you're an elite putter, you make long putts, and at Oakmont, there are a lot of long putts, which ... fits Burns' game perfectly. Maybe this is why he's the betting favorite. Now, here is how to bring Oakmont to its knees, courtesy of Victor Perez at the 192-yard sixth hole: 🚨 ACE ALERT 🚨Victor Perez 🇫🇷 with a great shot and an even better celebration! — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 It's just the second ever hole-in-one at Oakmont in a U.S. Open, and the first since 1983. A quick look at the betting odds over at Bet MGM and, well, Sam Burns is now the favorite at +700. Next up: J.J. Spaun and Viktor Hovland at +1000. Scottie Scheffler is still at just +1600, fifth best, even though he's nine shots back. If someone offers you an even-par 70, take it an run. You'll be the Round 2 leader. OK, so Oakmont is grinding everyone into a pulp, except maybe Sam Burns who's somehow 4-under on his round. But Brooks Koepka, who had it to 3-under an hour or so ago, is now at +1, after a fourth bogey in five holes. The latest came after he was next to the green at No. 4, a par 5, in two. From there, four strokes, dropped shot, frustration settling in Left, left, left, that's pretty much been Scottie Scheffler off the tee at Oakmont the last two days. And so after yet another drive he lost to the left, even Scheffler is left frustrated. Oakmont can frustrate even the most even-keeled players. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 That led to another bogey, pushing him back to +5, on the wrong side of the current cut line. A double bogey at No. 2 for Hovland is, well, ouch. And he was probably lucky to get out of there with only that much damage. And just like that, Scottie Scheffler is on the good side of the cut line. A birdie at No. 2 — his 11th hole — has him back to +4. That's right on the cut number. It should be noted, the front nine (where Scheffler is now) is playing four strokes above par, so Scheffler still has a lot of work to do to make the weekend. It's another bogey for Scottie Scheffler, this one at the first, to move him to +5. As of now, that would be on the wrong side of the cut line. No one is putting up a score Friday ... except for Viktor Hovland, who rolled in a lengthy birdie putt at No. 1 to get it back to 3-under, one off the lead. After a birdie at No. 17 got him to 3-under, one shot off the lead, Brooks Koepka has bogeyed each of the last three holes. He's back to even par Here's how the cut works at the U.S. Open: Top 60 and ties, pretty simple. What does that mean? Currently, the cutline would be +4. That pus the following players on the wrong side: Jordan Spieth (+5)Tony FinauDustin Johnson (+5)Patrick Cantlay (+6)Justin Thomas (+ After putting his tee shot on the short par 4 17th just in front of the green, Scottie Scheffler needed four shots to get it in the hole. That's a bogey, his second in three holes, and pushes him to +4. It's been a tough go at the majors for Viktor Hovland, who after some top-5 finishes a few years ago, hasn't been a factor of late. But after an eagle at No. 17, he's got himself to 3-under, just one back of the lead. Keep the hole-outs coming on 17! Viktor Hovland cards an eagle to match Koepka at 3-under. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 It won't show up on the scorecard, but Collin Morikawa's epic par putt at 15 is the kind of stroke that keeps you in this thing at Oakmont. Not all U.S. Open pars are created equal! Witness this 58-foot bomb from Collin Morikawa at two-time major champion stays right in the hunt at even par. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025
NBC Sports
17 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
German teenager Engel's historic run ends in straight-set loss to Auger-Aliassime
STUTTGART, Germany — A day after Justin Engel became the youngest tennis player in 40 years to reach a men's tour quarterfinal on grass, his run at the Stuttgart Open ended with a loss to Felix Auger-Aliassime on Friday. The 17-year-old German gave former U.S. Open semifinalist Auger-Aliassime a tough fight in the first set before the Canadian took a 7-6 (3), 6-3 win. Auger-Aliassime next plays second-seeded Taylor Fritz in the semifinals. The Canadian's victory keeps up a record of reaching the semifinals all three times he's played in Stuttgart. He was runner-up in 2019 and 2021. Engel's upset win over U.S. player Alex Michelsen on Thursday made him the youngest player to reach the quarters of any tour-level men's grass-court event since Boris Becker won Wimbledon as a 17-year-old in 1985. Engel this week also became the second-youngest player since 1990, behind Rafael Nadal, to have won a match on all three surfaces — grass, clay and hard-court — on the tour.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Scottie Scheffler Sends Emotional Message to Wife Meredith After Memorial Tournament Win
Scottie Scheffler Sends Emotional Message to Wife Meredith After Memorial Tournament Win originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The world's No. 1 ranked golfer, Scottie Scheffler, continued his dominance on Sunday by securing his second consecutive victory at the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, hosted by the legendary Jack Nicklaus. Advertisement Scheffler joined Tiger Woods as only the second player to win back-to-back at this course, finishing 10-under for the weekend. This marked his third PGA Tour victory of the season and extended his remarkable streak of seven straight top-10 finishes. Despite his success, Scheffler made it clear that none of it would be possible without the unwavering support of his wife, Meredith Scudder, who has stood by him at every tournament win alongside their child, Bennett. During his post-win interview, CBS Sports reporter Amanda Balionis asked, 'You know, watching you, Meredith, and Bennett, it makes me think of Barbra Nicklaus and how much she contributed to Jack's career with her support. Talk about what this balance looks like for you and the support Meredith provides to help you be the best father, husband, and the No. 1 player in the world.' Scheffler's emotions surfaced instantly as he replied, 'Yeah, you're really trying to make me emotional now. My wife is my biggest supporter; she's my best friend. This is our life out here on the road, and it's been a lot of fun. We've had some special memories at this tournament, and yeah, I definitely couldn't do it without her.' The couple, both Texas natives and high school sweethearts, were married in December 2020. Advertisement Back in 2022, after winning his first Masters, Scheffler shared a powerful moment with Meredith that helped put everything into perspective. 'My identity isn't a golf score,' he said. 'Like Meredith told me this morning, 'If you win this golf tournament today, if you lose this golf tournament by 10 shots, if you never win another golf tournament again,' she goes, 'I'm still going to love you. You're still going to be the same person. Jesus loves you, and nothing changes.'' Scottie Scheffler, his wife, Meredith, and son Bennett pose with the winner's trophy during the final round of the THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson golf tournament.© Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images At just 28 years old, Scheffler has already accomplished a great deal in his young golf career. If he maintains the incredible form he's shown over the past two years, he's on pace to achieve some truly historic milestones. Advertisement Although he's not expected to play in the upcoming RBC Canadian Open, Scheffler still has two majors left this season—the U.S. Open and The Open Championship. Winning both would complete his career Grand Slam, a feat only a select few have ever achieved. Related: Scottie Scheffler Shares Viral Handshake with Jack Nicklaus After Memorial Tournament Win This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
