Phil Mickelson without the fifth major title victory
Phil Mickelson, also known as Lefty, has won a total of 40 PGA Tour events, including four major golf championships. He also represented the United States team in nine Ryder Cups and nine Presidents Cups.
These are all marvellous accomplishments, even though his Ryder Cup stats do not speak of his calibre – his overall record in the biennial event, including this year’s edition, is 14 – 18 – 6.
Despite all his successes and a great golfing career so far, one might ask what his legacy will be if he fails to add another major championship title to his resume in the time to come.
One cannot deny the fact that it definitely can happen - he remains winless in the major championships.
Lefty has spent more than two decades on the PGA Tour and played on many other tours around the world. Last year, he was also diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. Therefore, one cannot guarantee how much game is left in the American.
If someone tries to compare him with Tiger Woods, it will give an impression that they are comparing apples with oranges.
Right from the beginning of his career, Woods always tried to become the best player ever, in the history of the game.
The world of golf always witnessed him contend to break Jack Nicklaus’ record of most victories in the major golf championships – Nicklaus won a total of 18 major titles in his career.
Mickelson, on the other hand, has not shown any sign of such enthusiasm to achieve that supremacy.
He was regarded as one of the closest competitor to Woods for many years. However, if one looks closely into his careers, he always gave more importance to his family, rather than to the sport.
His four major title wins have already earned him a place in the World Golf Hall of Fame this year.
The golf analysts, commentators and experts may question his greatness because of his other tied or sole second-place finishes in seven other major champions.
However, sometimes, such questions can be ignored, especially, when one has a creative personality in front of them.
He has an irritating habit of smiling even in difficult times. It is commonly seen that the American walks off the course as if he performed brilliantly, even though he suffers a harsh defeat.
Despite all that, one cannot define his legacy, without talking about his off the course activities.
He bravely dealt with the breast cancer diagnosis of both his wife and mother. Moreover, he has spent plenty of time for the Birdies for the Brave and showed interest in educating the less resourced children in the United States.
In the end, it is simple to say that if Mickelson finishes off his career without adding another major title to his resume, he definitely will be disappointed. In addition to that, his fans and followers will also be disappointed.
Yet, one thing is for sure. When he will be done with his golfing career, the big smile on his face will still be there because he spent his life on and off the course, the way he wanted that to be.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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