Golf: Phil Mickelson Makes History

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It was great to see Phil Mickelson win the 2021 PGA Championship at the age of 50. He became the oldest player ever to win a major. The last time he won one was eight years ago in 2013. It shows that age does not matter when it comes to sports. Especially the game of golf. With the right workout regimen and mental focus, anyone can win the game of golf. Mickelson said earlier in the week that he was performing mediation which has helped him focus. What I saw is that Mickelson was able to conquer the Ocean Couse at Kiawah Island. His short game has been the strength of his game for all his career. He was also able to keep the ball in play off the tee this tournament. It was just as cool to see Tiger Woods win the Masters in 2019.

Mickelson and Woods did play in a charity tournament against each other in 2020. That was for coronavirus relief at the time which the virus was recking havoc. They had partners in NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and future Hall of Famer Tom Brady. Brady and Mickelson went on to win this match.

The Ocean course was not easy because it sits alongside the Atlantic Ocean of South Carolina. The last time the PGA was there Rory McIlroy won by eight shots. Watching all four days, I saw Mickelson hit key shots when he needed to. I am not saying the rest of the field did not play well. Brooks Koepka, who was coming off knee surgery, finished in a tie for second and played with Phil Mickelson in the final pairing on Sunday. The Ocean course was beautiful all around.

I have been a golf fan for a long time. I did not see Jack Nicklaus win at the age of 46 at the Masters since I was still young. When Tiger Woods won the Masters in 2019, I broke down in tears. I saw Tiger when he first came on tour. With all that he went through prior to 2019, it was great to see him win at a course that he loved and had his career blossom after he won there at a young age. I know that there are Wood’s haters out there hoping he never won another major yet another tournament. For the rest of us, we were all so happy. Seeing Mickelson at the Valspar Championship earlier this month was cool. To see him win his sixth major in his career was another tear-making moment. He also was my late mother’s favorite player.

I am not trying to compare the two wins, but both are great for the game of golf. It shows that even the oldest players on tour should never be counted out. Mickelson has never won a US Open and we will see at the next major if he can accomplish that. He just accepted a special exception to play, so now he does not have to worry about that because with his win he has five years at each of the four majors.

The future of the tour is in good hands, but the ones that built it for the young guys can still play. Mickelson is also left-handed and not too many tour players are left-handed. In the end, congratulations to Phil Mickelson on becoming the 2021 PGA Champion.