In 2013, Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson registered his dominant win against Tiger Woods at The Open Championship. Four birdies on the final six holes meant Mickelson was going up on the leaderboard. The last one on the 18th green was just enough to bring out the tears An emotional Phil Mickelson, another step closer to his Grand Slam, said after the win, “I think that if I’m able to win the U.S. Open and complete the career Grand Slam, I think that’s the sign of the complete, great player. I’m a leg away. And it’s been a tough leg for me.” Skip 12 years, and Phil Mickelson is still seeking that Grand Slam, all the while battling retirement rumors, something that seems to have gained traction once again amid Mickelson’s poor performances.
Currently preparing for the Oakmont event, with his U.S. Open eligibility criteria set to expire this season, Phil Mickelson is struggling on the course. In the seven LIV Golf events he has participated in so far, he has registered only two top-10 finishes. Additionally, he has missed the cut in both majors, the Masters Tournament and the PGA Championship. However, when he arrives at Oakmont Country Club, Mickelson says it might be his last chance to complete his Grand Slam.
Currently active in Virginia for the upcoming LIV Golf event, Mickelson said on Wednesday of the 2025 U.S. Open possibly being his last, “I haven’t thought about it too much. There’s a high likelihood that it will be, but I haven’t really thought about it too much.” Mickelson will be playing for the 2025 U.S. Open thanks to his 2021 PGA Championship win, wherein he became the oldest golfer to clinch a major win at 50. However, if he rallies past the poor series of performance and sticks to golf after the 2025 season, will he participate in the U.S. Open qualifying events from the 2026 season? Mickelson answered, “I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far.”
🚨🇺🇸👍🏻 #FINAL TIME? — Phil Mickelson acknowledged that this year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont could be his last: “I haven’t thought about it too much. There’s a high likelihood that it will be, but I haven’t really thought about it too much.” pic.twitter.com/25HSDo6UyB
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) June 4, 2025
As worrying as this update is, this isn’t the first time Phil Mickelson has pointed to his retirement. Just a few months ago, Mickelson made a confession. “Look, I’m 53 now, and if I’m being honest, the sunset is creeping up on my career….My career now, if I’m being truthful, it’s towards its end.” In 2024, having registered only one top-10 finish until August, almost dipping into the relegation zone, an emotional Mickelson said during LIV Golf Chicago promotion, “I’m 53 now, and my career, you know, it’s — if I’m being truthful, it’s on — it’s — it’s — I’m a — it’s towards its end.” Mickelson, a three-time Masters champion, enjoys a lifetime exemption to compete at Augusta National and the PGA Championship, which he has won twice. He can also participate in the Open Championship until age 60, thanks to his victory in 2013. He will turn 55 (June 16), a day after the U.S. Open ends (June 15). However, the latest update has drawn mixed reactions from the fans.
The golf world is divided over Phil Mickelson’s retirement news
One fan took a rather sharp take on the alarming update and said, “No one cares,” while another dismissed the possibility of Phil Mickelson retiring so soon, “Another lie from Phil.” Of course, no one can say with confidence that the retirement will happen this soon, however, Mickelson has often hinted at retirement. Take the 2013 situation, for instance. At that time, as a result of the increasing federal and California state tax, Mickelson continued while promising ‘some drastic changes,’ “If you add up all the federal and you look at the disability and the unemployment and the Social Security and the state, my tax rate’s 62, 63%. So I’ve got to make some decisions on what I’m going to do.”
Two fans counted on the possibility of this happening. One said, “Unfortunately he will Look back at all those second place finishes,” while the other said, “Kind of a bummer. 6 second places. I’ll definitely be rooting for his last chance for the Grand slam!” Mickelson is well-known for finishing as the runner-up a record six times at the U.S. Open, starting with Payne Stewart at Pinehurst in 1999, and then again in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2013. Mickelson told Golf Digest in 2022, “If I win the US Open, I will retire. That would be my last tournament. I will have achieved the career Grand Slam and I won’t have anything more to prove.”
One fan looked back at Phil Mickelson’s meltdown at the 2006 U.S. Open and said, “His final one should be at Winged Foot.” On Sunday, Phil Mickelson appeared poised to win his first U.S. Open, needing just a par on the 18th for his third consecutive major title. However, a wayward tee shot landed in the hospitality tent after hitting a tree. Although he had a chance to make par, his second shot also struck a tree, landing only 25 yards ahead.
His third shot went into the greenside bunker, and the fourth landed in the rough beyond the green. Mickelson chipped to save par for a playoff, but the ball rolled six feet past the hole, leading to a bogey. The result? That popular raw Phil Mickelson sentiment: “I still am in shock that I did that. I just can’t believe I did that. I’m such an idiot.” Let’s hope Mickelson achieves something magical at the U.S. Open.
