“... there’s no reason why I or anybody else can’t do it at a later age. It just takes a little bit more work.”
Phil Mickelson on becoming the oldest golfer to win a major at age 50.
Phil Mickelson becomes the oldest golfer to win a major at 50.
Published on
may 25, 2021
PGA TournamentGolfPhil Mickelson
- Phil Mickelson's enthusiasm for golf began when he was about 18 months old, watching his father, Phil Mickelson Sr., practice his swing in their San Diego backyard. Mickelson (also known as "Lefty") is naturally right-handed, but as a child he would mirror Mickelson Sr. as they practiced. Mickelson never stopped mirroring his father, as he swings left-handed to this day.
- As the years passed by, Mickelson entered into several competitions as a junior golfer. He later earned full scholarship to Arizona State University, "where he established a reputation as one of the greatest American amateur golfers of all time" (Britannica).
- Beginning in 1990, Mickelson played yearly in at least one of golf's four major events, winning his first major at the 2004 Masters. He claimed other major victories in 2005, 2006, 2010, and finally 2013 at The Open Championship.
- Why It Matters: At the 2021 PGA Championship on Sunday, Lefty broke a record that's been held for 53 years, becoming the oldest golfer to ever win a major championship. "Slightly unnerving but exceptionally awesome," 50-year-old Mickelson said of the crowds that celebrated his victory with him at the final hole on Kiawah Island.
Sources:
AP Article on Phil Mickelson's PGA Championship Victory
