Mickelson becomes oldest major champion ever with win at Kiawah
Father Time comes for all athletes eventually, but this week Phil Mickelson showed everyone he's still got plenty of top golf left in his 50-year-old body.
Mickelson became the oldest man to ever win a major on Sunday, putting up a final-round 73 to claim the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. The California native outlasted Louis Oosthuizen and Brooks Koepka, securing his sixth career major win and breaking then-48-year-old Julius Boros' record, set in 1968.
The win represents the 45th TOUR victory of Mickelson's illustrious career, moving him into a tie with Walter Hagen for the eighth-most ever. The victory also comes 30 years after he won his first PGA TOUR event as an amateur in 1991 - the last golfer to achieve such a feat.
| Place | Player | Total to par | Round 4 score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phil Mickelson | -6 | 73 |
| T2 | Brooks Koepka | -4 | 74 |
| T2 | Louis Oosthuizen | -4 | 73 |
| T4 | Padraig Harrington | -2 | 69 |
| T4 | Shane Lowry | -2 | 73 |
| T4 | Harry Higgs | -2 | 70 |
| T4 | Paul Casey | -2 | 71 |
| T8 | Abraham Ancer | -1 | 65 |
| T8 | Justin Rose | -1 | 67 |
| T8 | Collin Morikawa | -1 | 68 |
| T8 | Jon Rahm | -1 | 68 |
| T8 | Will Zalatoris | -1 | 70 |
| T8 | Scottie Scheffler | -1 | 70 |
| T8 | Tony Finau | -1 | 70 |
| T8 | Rickie Fowler | -1 | 71 |
| T8 | Kevin Streelman | -1 | 75 |
Mickelson strode to the first tee at Kiawah with a one-stroke lead over Koepka 2,864 days after he walked off the 18th green at the Open Championship at Muirfield with his fifth major title. The final mouthwatering group featured one of golf's all-time greats and the sport's best player in the biggest events.
The opening hole immediately heightened Sunday's drama, as Koepka birdied while Mickelson three-putted for bogey and immediately lost his lead.
The pair would trade punches over the next couple of holes before a classic moment of magic from Mickelson would push the lead to two shots. With Koepka safely on the par-3 fifth green in regulation, Mickelson showed off his world-class touch around the greens, splashing a perfect bunker shot that rolled into the hole for a clutch birdie.
Mickelson took that two-stroke lead to the 10th tee before supplying the dagger with a brilliant approach to the tricky par 4. He poured in the birdie putt, and a bogey by his younger combatant pushed the lead to four and effectively ended the threat.
Even a poor approach that found water on No. 13 couldn't derail Mickelson - the chasers around him eventually crumbled leading up to the final two-shot margin. A statement drive on No. 16 was the capper on the day for the oldest ever major champion. A towering 366-yard missile from the man who prides himself on his 'bombs' and 'hellacious seeds' represented the longest of the week by any player on that hole.
While Mickelson's career resume puts him in rarefied air, the win at Kiawah is still a shocking result given his recent play. The longtime golfer hasn't posted a top-10 finish in a major since 2016 and had fallen to No. 115 in the world ranking heading into the week. That world ranking spot is the worst for a major champion since Shaun Micheel claimed the PGA Championship as the 169th-ranked player in 2003.
Major title No. 6 is also a milestone for Mickelson, as he now joins Nick Faldo and Lee Trevino at that career total. There are just 14 men in golf history that have won at least that many major championships.
In a month, Mickelson will attempt to secure the final piece that has eluded him throughout his illustrious career - a U.S. Open title. He's suffered heartbreak at the event multiple times en route to a whopping six runner-up finishes.
This year's tournament will be played at Torrey Pines near San Diego, a virtual home contest given his longtime residence in Southern California. While the lengthy rough-filled track doesn't seem like a great fit for Mickelson, this week's result reminded us why it's never wise to count Lefty out.