The 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Nation Membership may mark the tip of an iconic period. Phil Mickelson, who’s performed in 33 U.S. Opens and has six runner-up finishes on the main championship, admitted there is a “excessive probability” this may very well be his final.
Talking forward of this week’s LIV Golf League event at Robert Trent Jones Golf Membership in Gainesville, Virginia, the six-time main champion gave a blunt response when requested if this may very well be his ultimate U.S. Open begin.
“I have not thought of it an excessive amount of,” Mickelson informed reporters on Wednesday, per Mark Schlabach of ESPN. “There is a excessive probability that it will likely be, however I have not actually thought of it an excessive amount of.”
The difficulty is not Mickelson’s want to maintain enjoying U.S. Opens. He merely may not obtain one other invite to the most important championship.
Mickelson acquired a five-year exemption to the U.S. Open after successful the PGA Championship in 2021, however it should run out after the 2025 occasion at Oakmont. It will not be straightforward for the 54-year-old to qualify for future U.S. Opens with out that safeguard.
The highest 60 gamers within the Official World Golf Rating get invited to the U.S. Open, however there is no pathway for Mickelson to get again there contemplating he is 1,162nd on this planet and dropping extra each week. A potential — but extremely unlikely — path can be to win a significant and lock up one other five-year exemption. Mickelson has lifetime exemptions to the Masters and PGA Championship and might play within the Open Championship till he is 60, however successful one other main can be a minor miracle.
On LIV Golf, the one technique to rating a U.S. Open invite is to be No. 1 within the season standings on Could 19 or on the finish of the 12 months. With Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Joaquin Niemann and different heavy hitters competing alongside him, Mickelson is probably going out of luck there, too.
Essentially the most practical choice for Mickelson in 2026 and past can be to enter a U.S. Open qualifying event and play his method in. Max Homa, Rickie Fowler and dozens of different PGA and LIV gamers competed in ultimate qualifying this 12 months, however the golf legend may view these tournaments as beneath him.
The U.S. Open remains to be Mickelson’s white whale. He nonetheless wants a U.S. Open title to finish the profession Grand Slam, however he is operating out of each time and alternatives.
