Phil Mickelson’s majors timeline: Here’s his last major win, PGA Championship history and more

By | May 22, 2021

Phil Mickelson is in prime position to win his sixth major tournament on Sunday at the 2021 PGA Championship.

A win this weekend would be Mickelson’s first since 2013, and his first at the PGA Championship since 2005. It would also cement the tournament as one of two major events he has won more than once (the other being the Masters Tournament).

Mickelson entered moving day Saturday tied for the lead with Louis Oosthuizen at 5 under. At one point his lead on the field ballooned to four strokes, thanks to four birdies in the front nine. He made things difficult for himself on 12 and 13, carding a bogey and double bogey, respectively. He ended the round at 7 under and with just a one-stroke lead over Brooks Koepka heading into the final round. Oosthuizen is still in the running as well, carding an even-par round Saturday to remain at 5 under.

MORE: Mickelson has chance to become golf’s oldest major winner

Will Mickelson be able to hold off his challengers? Only time — and one more round of play — will tell. Until then, here’s Mickelson’s previous major tournament history:

How many majors has Phil Mickelson won?

Mickelson has won a total of five major tournaments. Those are:

  • Masters Tournament (three times)
  • PGA Championship
  • Open Championship

When was the last time Phil Mickelson won a major?

Mickelson’s last major victory was in the 2013 Open Championship, his only victory in the tournament (held that year at Muirfield Golf Links in Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland). He won by three strokes over second-place finisher Henrik Stenson.

Round Score (to par) Overall score (to par)
1 69 (2 under) 69 (2 under)
2 74 (3 over) 141 (1 over)
3 72 (1 over) 213 (2 over)
4 66 (5 under) 281 (3 under)

Has Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championship?

Yes, Mickelson won the 2005 PGA Championship. He finished 4 under for the tournament, one shot ahead of second-place finishers Thomas Bjørn and Steve Elkington.

Below is his round-by-round score on the par-70 course at Baltusrol Golf Club Lower Course in Springfield, N.J.:

Round Score (to par) Overall score (to par)
1 67 (3 under) 67 (3 under)
2 65 (5 under) 132 (8 under)
3 72 (2 over) 204 (6 under)
4 72 (2 over) 276 (4 under)

What major has Phil Mickelson not won?

The only major Mickelson has yet to win is the U.S. Open, where in 29 appearances he has 10 top-10 finishes, including six finishes of second or tied for second. The closest he came to winning the tournament was in 2006, when a double bogey on the 72nd hole put him at 6 over for the tournament — one shot behind that year’s winner, Geoff Ogilvy, who watched from the clubhouse.

Here are his 10 best showings at the event, including score:

Year Finish Score to par
1995 T-4 4 over
1998 T-10 8 over
1999 2 Even
2001 T-7 Even
2002 2 Even
2004 2 2 under
2006 T-2 6 over
2009 T-2 1 under
2010 T-4 3 over
2013 T-2 3 over

Phil Mickelson majors timeline

Mickelson has played in at least one of golf’s four major tournaments every year since 1990, when he finished tied for 29th in the U.S. Open. He did not play a full major slate until 1995, when he finished tied for seventh at the Masters; tied for fourth at the U.S. Open; tied for 40th at the Open Championship; and failed to make the cut at the PGA Championship.

Mickelson won his first major at the 2004 Masters, followed by first-place finishes at the 2005 PGA Championship and 2006 Masters. He did not win another major until the 2010 Masters, then won his third different major event in the 2013 Open Championship. In all, he has 38 top-10 finishes in major events: 15 at the Masters, 10 at the U.S. Open, nine at the PGA Championship and four at the Open Championship.

His most successful major easily has been the Masters, where he finished no worse than 10th and won three tournaments from 2000-10. His single-most successful major season was in 2004, when he won the Masters, finished second at the U.S. Open, finished third at the Open Championship and tied for sixth at the PGA Championship.

Below is a rundown of each of his major victories, including the winning score to par and margin of victory:

Tournament Score to par Winning margin
2004 Masters Tournament 9 under 1 stroke
2005 PGA Championship 4 under 1 stroke
2006 Masters Tournament 7 under 2 strokes
2010 Masters Tournament 16 under 3 strokes
2013 Open Championship 3 under 3 strokes

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