Phil Mickelson didn’t arrive at Royal Portrush riding a wave of momentum. In fact, his major season had been anything but memorable—three starts, three missed cuts. But when the stakes are high and the spotlight shines brightest, Lefty has a way of showing up. At The Open Championship, he finally broke the slump—not with fireworks, but with quiet persistence and a bit of record-breaking grit.
A record that has everything to do with his first two rounds runs. Phil Mickelson kicked off The Open Championship with a one‑under 70, navigating intermittent rain and firm winds in round one. He followed it with a one-over 72 on Friday and made it above the projected cut line (+1). He landed two records following these disappointing runs: a personal best of 21 made cuts in 30 The Open appearances, and becoming the second golfer with the most made cuts in majors, second only to Jack Nicklaus.
Yes, you read that right. Sure, Mickelson’s recent major runs do not seem very promising, but he still recorded his 103rd cut in men’s major championships, edging past Gary Player’s record of 102. With 127 major appearances since his debut at the 1990 U.S. Open, he’s now sitting pretty solid in second place on the all-time cuts-made leaderboard. Aside from that, Mickelson also holds a personal best record of 30 consecutive made cuts in majors between the 1999 PGA Championship and the 2007 Masters.
However, when it comes to most major cuts, the only golfer ahead of Phil Mickelson is the legendary Jack Nicklaus, who made an impressive 131 cuts in 164 major starts. Nicklaus achieved this remarkable feat over nearly three decades, from the 1957 U.S. Open to the 1986 PGA Championship.
Most cuts made in majors all time:
Jack Nicklaus 131
Phil Mickelson 103
Gary Player 102 pic.twitter.com/bHPNWiSXvU
— Underdog Golf (@UnderdogGolf) July 18, 2025
So, now the point stands: in Nicklaus’s absence, Mickelson has the chance to do the unfathomable: make more cuts in majors than the Golden Bear. But, hey, until we wait for that to happen, you’d be surprised to know this isn’t the only record he made at The Open.
Phil Mickelson just secured his personal best in The Open Championship run
Phil Mickelson had a remarkable start to The Open Championship at Royal Portrush, carding a 1-under 70, his best opening round since 2016. He attributed his success to a combination of skill, luck, and experience, saying, “We had a pretty good break before the rain came in. It came in just the last couple holes.”
Mickelson’s impressive start included a notable par on the par-3 third hole, where his tee shot landed in a greenside bunker. After failing to escape on his first attempt, his third shot miraculously spun into the hole for par. “That was a crazy one. To make it, it was obviously a lot of luck. It was crazy. I was just trying to save bogey, and I got lucky and it went in.” He also made a 20-footer on No. 17 for another birdie.
Mickelson’s experience and adaptability have allowed him to excel in various conditions. He reflected on his The Open Championship win in 2013 at Muirfield, saying, “I think winning The Open in 2013 was the greatest accomplishment in my career because I had to learn a style of golf that I didn’t grow up playing.” In 2013, Mickelson achieved a major success at Muirfield in Scotland with The Open win.
Despite his one-under 70, Mickelson’s first-round performance was impressive, with over 50% of his greens hit and a strong short game that earned him over three strokes more than the field average. After finishing tied for 60th at Royal Troon last year – his first made cut at The Open since 2016 – Mickelson said following his first round, “I just think it’s a sign of a complete player, to be able to win in all the conditions of the majors that they provide.” Indeed, that is the case. However, it will still be interesting to see what his future major appearances have in store for him.
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