Phil Mickelson, the 6-time major champion, is dealing with more than one thing at this time: a mixed series of performances and retirement rumors. The latter is largely his doing, given his statement ahead of the latest LIV event at Virginia. Ahead of the 2025 Virginia event, Mickelson said of the 2025 U.S. Open possibly being his last chance at a Grand Slam: “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.” As gloomy as that sounds, Mickelson is looking strong at the weather-beaten Virginia event.
The third round of LIV Golf Virginia was temporarily suspended at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club due to bad weather. Officials initially expected play to resume at 11:50 AM ET. Play eventually resumed after a brief break, and Mickelson shared his thoughts just minutes before play officially resumed, writing on X, “Restarting in 10 mins with a 3 foot birdie putt to tie for the lead. I don’t know how it’ll all play out, but this is so much fun.” Thankfully, the Virginia event was looking to be in his favor. Amid the inclement weather, Phil Mickelson looked strong as he aimed for his first LIV Golf event ahead of the 2025 U.S. Open. So, what’s going right for this 3-time Masters champion?
Well, quite a lot, if you look at his scorecard. In the first round, Mickelson recorded a score of 4-under. He finished round 1 just one stroke behind leaders Bryson DeChambeau and Matt Kuchar, who both shot 5-under 66. On Saturday, Anirban Lahiri scored 7-under 64 and shifted ahead of Mickelson, who shot a 3-under par.
Restarting in 10 mins with a 3 foot birdie putt to tie for the lead. I don’t know how it’ll all play out but this is so much fun
— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) June 8, 2025
In the third round, the game was back in Phil Mickelson‘s favor. Thanks to his 5 birdies in the first 14 holes, Mickelson was in contention and standing in 2nd position, just behind Graeme McDowell. Now, given Mickelson’s strong performance in Virginia, one question remains: will Phil Mickelson be able to do the unimaginable (take a win) in his “last” chance at a Grand Slam at Oakmont? Fans did not think so.
The golf world is betting against Phil Mickelson’s chance at a Grand Slam
Despite Phil Mickelson’s strong showing at the 2025 LIV Golf Virginia, golf fans are pretty sure that he won’t even make the cut at the U.S. Open. If you’re looking at Mickelson’s 2025 major performances, you’d say the same. Mickelson missed the cut at both the Masters Tournament and the PGA Championship. Looking at this, a fan said, “I got $20 that says Phil won’t make the cut at Oakmont,” while another one said, “Bet he doesn’t make the cut …” So far in his LIV career, Mickelson has struggled to make an impact. He finished 39th in the individual points race in 2022, 33rd in 2023, and a disappointing 50th last year. Aside from that, when he last played at Oakmont in 2016, he did indeed miss the cut.
Does Phil Mickelson have a chance at Oakmont Country Club? A golf fan confidently replied, “Zero chance at Oakmont,” while another fan said, “what a dumba– question.” Aside from Mickelson’s history at Oakmont (two missed cuts and one T-47), the course restoration also doesn’t work in his favor. The course has increased in length from 7,219 yards in 2016 to 7,372 yards as a par-70 in 2025. Architect Gil Hanse enlarged the greens and added more pin locations. He rebuilt all the hazards, revamped nearly 200 bunkers, and updated the drainage system in those bunkers. So, it will be a tough competition!
One fan showed a little faith in Phil Mickelson and said, “No. I’d be thrilled if he made the cut.” In his 33 U.S. Open starts, Mickelson has made the cut 26 times. That’s an amazing record indeed. What’s sad, however, is his record of finishing at number 2 in these 26 events. Since he first played at the U.S. Open in 1990, Mickelson has had 6 runner-up finishes: 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2013.
What did you think of Phil Mickelson’s performance? Let us know in the comments!
The post Phil Mickelson Turns Laughing Stock Despite Showing Signs of Resurgence Ahead of U.S. Open appeared first on EssentiallySports.
