Phil Mickelson will be on the field at the Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh next week’s US Open. The six-time major champion confirmed that it could be his last chance to complete a career grand slam on Wednesday.
Winning the 2021 PGA Championship on Kiawha Island, South Carolina, marks the final year of Mickelson’s five-year exemption, where he became the oldest major championship winner.
Mickelson, 54, is six runner-up at the US Open, and is only one of four major championships he has not won. After Rory McIlroy did it at the Masters in April, he became the seventh golfer to reach the milestone.
“I didn’t think much about that,” Mickelson said at a press conference at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, the site for this week’s LIV Golf League tournament. “It’s likely that it will happen, but I didn’t think much about it.”
When asked if he would take part in the future US Open Qualifiers if he was not exempt, Mickelson said, “I don’t know. I didn’t think so much.”
In February, the US Open became the first major to create a direct route for LIV golf players, creating a new exemption on May 19th, awarding spots on the field with individual point rankings.
Next year, the top golfers in the final point rankings of this season will win a spot at the 2026 US Open. Players must still be exempt from the top three and finished.
The top 60 players in the official world golf rankings are also included in the US open field. Players will not earn OWGR points on LIV Golf League finishes. Mickelson is currently ranked 1,162nd in the world.
A three-time Masters champion, Mickelson has a lifetime exemption to play at Augusta National Golf Club, and a PGA Championship where he won two times. He can play in the Open Championship until he turns 60 after collecting a jug of clarets in 2013.
Mickelson will turn 55 on June 16th.
Mickelson also suggested on Wednesday that the end of his playing career in the LIV Golf League may not be too far away. He said he will continue to compete as captain of the Hyflyers GC, unless he hurts the team.
“I want this team to succeed,” Mickelson said. “I don’t want to hold it down. If I’m not an asset, if I’m not helping, if I’m holding it down, it’s time to take someone else here to really help me move on and help the team win and succeed. These guys want to go through that.
Mickelson is 15th in individual points rankings and is the best position on his team. He finished third in the tournament in Hong Kong and sixth in Miami.
“I played better this year,” Mickelson said. “I feel like I’ve been holding it down for the last few years. I’ve had a great offseason. I don’t feel like I’m holding it down now. If I can keep playing well, please help my team succeed.