Phil Mickelson’s honest admission after winning 2021 PGA Championship still true

Phil Mickelson’s honest admission after winning 2021 PGA Championship still rings true.

Phil Mickelson has failed to lift another major title since his victory at the 2021 PGA Championship, and his comments in the aftermath of that win suggest he knew his time was up.

Phil Mickelson boldly predicted after his 2021 PGA Championship triumph that it could be his final major tournament achievement, and so far, his forecast has been correct.

Mickelson has been a hugely successful figure in golf for more than three decades, and has amassed a sizable haul of major titles. These include three Masters wins, two PGA Championships, and one Open Championship.

One of only 17 players to have clinched at least three of the four majors, Mickelson’s elusive prize remains the U.S. Open, where he has finished runner-up a record six times.

In 2021, Phil Mickelson made history by becoming the oldest player to win a major championship at 50 years, 11 months, and seven days old. His victory at Kiawah Island was marked by both celebration and a clear-eyed acknowledgment of what lay ahead in his career.

During a press conference that year, Mickelson reflected: “This could very well be the last tournament I ever win. I’m just being honest. But maybe I’ve had a breakthrough in focus, and I could go on a run — who knows? The point is, age shouldn’t be a barrier. It just requires more effort.”

So far, Mickelson’s prediction seems to be holding true, as he hasn’t clinched another win on the PGA Tour or the LIV Golf series since. Although he did win the Charles Schwab Cup Championship later in 2021, that event is limited to players over 50 and didn’t include many of golf’s elite.

It’s becoming more apparent that Mickelson’s time competing at the highest level may be winding down, particularly after his poor performance at this year’s PGA Championship. In the first round at Quail Hollow in North Carolina, he shot an eight-over-par 79, placing him outside the top 100.

Playing alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Jason Day, Mickelson had only one birdie and four bogeys on the front nine. His struggles continued with a tee shot into the water on the 14th and a triple-bogey on the seventh.

He’s scheduled to tee off with Fleetwood and Day again in the second round at 6:14 p.m. UK time, hoping to recover from his rough start and stay in contention. Still, if he doesn’t turn things around soon, his somber remarks from 2021 may prove to be prophetic.