Phil Mickelson’s career trajectory is mirrored by his patented rollercoaster play on the course. And the six-time major champ’s ability to hit heroic shots amid disaster was on full display Thursday at the 2025 Open Championship.
In the early going at Royal Portrush, Mickelson kept thousands of spectators on the edge of their seats while fighting for the Open lead. But the most Phil-like performance came at the 3rd.
Mickelson played in the fifth grouping in the opening round, teeing off at 2:19 a.m. ET/7:19 a.m. local time alongside Daniel van Tonder and Ryan Peake.
Though he’s played some of his best golf since joining LIV this year, Mickelson wasn’t on anyone’s radar as a potential contender at this week’s Open. He changed that narrative quickly in Round 1.
Phil Mickelson surged into the Open lead while you were sleeping
Following a par at the opening hole, Mickelson drained an eight-foot birdie putt at the par-5 2nd to get into red numbers early.
But the positive momentum was nearly snuffed out at the next hole, the short par-3 3rd.
Mickelson’s tee shot on the 167-yard hole came up short, diving into the upper part of a greenside pot bunker. He arrived at the ball to find a dreaded fried-egg lie. With a stance difficult to navigate, Phil took a whack at his ball but failed to get it out of the bunker on his first attempt.
Suddenly it seemed that he’d give back the shot he earned at the 2nd, and then some. But Mickelson had other plans.
Facing a lengthy shot to the hole and a rumpled green, Mickelson hit a high, skinny shot that came down about 15 feet from the hole, then spun left and rolled directly into the cup for an incredible par-saving 3.
The epic shot drew an appropriately shocked reaction from the USA TV booth: “Are you kidding me?”
Watch the moment below.
Following his epic par hole-out at 3, Mickelson remained at one under. He made pars on the next three holes, scrambling at times to keep from falling off the pace.
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The 2013 Open champion then took advantage of the second par-5 on the course, the 7th, reaching in two then two-putting for another birdie 4.
His second birdie of the day moved Mickelson into the early Open lead at two under.
He was tied for the lead until he recorded his first bogey of the day at the par-4 11th hole, moving him back to one under. Still, at that point Mickelson was tied for fifth and well withing striking distance.
Should he somehow come out on top this week, Mickelson’s second Open title and seventh major would be even more improbable than his sixth. At that major, the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, the then 50-year-old Mickelson set the record for oldest major champion in history.
Now 55, his odds seem even more unlikely. He missed four straight Open cuts from 2019-2023. He broke the streak last year at Royal Troon but could only manage of T60.
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