Why Phil Mickelson May Be the Most Misunderstood Figure in Golf History

Not many golfers can say that they have won 45 or more PGA Tour titles. The elite list led by the likes of Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and others ends with Phil Mickelson. He has the 8th most victories in the history of the PGA Tour. And unlike many names on the list, Lefty is still going strong at the age of 55.

Phil has often been criticized for his switch to LIV Golf. Many think that he has destroyed the reputation he had built for 35 years. Unlike Greg Norman, who felt that he had always been mistreated by the PGA Tour, Mickelson was a beloved figure there. He had no reason to make the switch. English pro Eddie Pepperell believed the same, as he told National Club Golfer, “Somebody like Phil in particular, I would consider him a mercenary in all of this, and in my mind, his legacy is practically tarnished.”

As Norman was building his arsenal against the PGA Tour, Mickelson turned out to be one of his strongest weapons. 45-time champion, 6-time major winner, and one of the biggest names in golf history, the PGA Tour suffered a major loss when Phil left. Especially since he had only won the PGA Championship in 2021, becoming the oldest golfer in history to win a major. Major winner Fred Couples also couldn’t help but bluntly call out Mickelson: “Have you ever seen Phil look so stupid in his life? They know it’s a joke.”

Reading his comment, you’d think that there was always a lot of animosity between Fred and Phil. But the fact is, they were really good friends during their prime. However, Mickelson’s move to LIV really triggered Couples, who has always favored building a legacy over a big bank account. Honestly, the comments might have been a little too harsh. Especially when you consider how Lefty still put in the effort to stay connected with his PGA Tour peers even when he represented the rivals.

Phil Mickelson’s connection with the PGA Tour

Mickelson also seems to share a respectful relationship with Team U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley. After Keegan announced the six Captain’s Picks for Bethpage, Phil tweeted, “Keegan did a great job today and was as classy as the king. He’s leading by example and is showing why he’s a great choice to lead this team.” The 55-year-old believes that Bradley acted more like The King, Arnold Palmer, by not choosing to go to Bethpage as the playing captain. While it was a tough decision, it was far more important for him to lead the squad to victory than play in it.

Another great example of his dynamic with PGA Tour pros is his friendship with Akshay Bhatia. Both golfers bond over being lefties, and over the years, Mickelson has guided Bhatia as he consistently improves his game.

Mickelson told Akshay about the time he won the Tucson Open as an amateur and other stories that left Bhatia in awe. Soon, ‘Lefty’ became a big brother to him. Phil not only took Bhatia “under his wing” but also helped him navigate the early stages of his career. Still only 23, Akshay has been performing extremely well on the PGA Tour recently. He is already a two-time champion and also has a couple of runner-up finishes. And he is incredibly grateful for the relationship he shares with Mickelson.

When he was asked about his interactions with Mickelson, Bhatia told Golfweek that it is a “dream to be able to spend time with” him, as he gets to learn so much from the veteran golfer. Bhatia is not the only one who has spoken kindly of Phil.

Lefty gets acknowledged for his efforts

Crushers GC captain Bryson DeChambeau also believes that the World Golf Hall of Famer is a gravely misunderstood figure. Bryson told the media why he respects Phil so much: “Just how much he cares about the game, how much he cares about getting people into the game. He’s an entertainer and cares so much. I wish people could see that.” Behind closed doors, Mickelson has often tried to help his peers excel in golf.

Even Jon Rahm had admitted that the veteran pro had played a huge role in helping him and Legion XIII crack a deal with Callaway when they first formed the team. Even his teammate, Brendan Steele, spoke very highly of him during an interview. “I have never seen somebody take on things with so much energy. From the first time that I met him through to this very day, it’s really incredible. It’s infectious. He’s always helped me a ton on and off the golf course, and I just never see the guy slow down.”

Phil Mickelson also attempted to answer some of the toughest questions on the PGA Tour, those that no one else was willing to tackle. In 2021, when the late Grayson Murray expressed how playing on the Tour caused him a lot of mental issues, the LIV Golf pro addressed the sensitive subject on X. Understanding where Murray was coming from, he wrote, “I’m sorry playing the Tour has been so overwhelming and if I can help in any way I’d be happy to. It’s not an easy life for sure, and even winning every year can bring about other challenges. FYI ‘we will get back to you’ is the only response I’ve ever gotten too.”

Mickelson’s genuine concern about his peer shows how much he cared about the sport and the PGA Tour. While he may be more critical about it these days, Lefty is also not afraid to admit when he is wrong.

The misunderstood and overly criticized

“Here’s a hot take. Does Scottie win in 2025 before the Ryder Cup? I don’t think so,” famous words by Phil Mickelson back on March 17, 2025. The reason we give you the exact date because the world’s #1 only needs 49 days to change Lefty’s mind on May 5, 2025. He had just won The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, and Mickelson was forced to admit, “So I might of been off on that one 😂😂. Congrats to Scottie on a great performance 👍👍.” The HyFlyers GC had to swallow a few more tough pills, four more since Scheffler won four more championships, including two majors.

However, instead of continuing to stand his ground, Phil was gracious enough to admit his mistakes time and again throughout the episode. He even admitted that Scheffler was “clearly #1 in the world,” accepting defeat to his brilliance. Responding to Kevin Kisner, he publicly admitted on X that anyone can make mistakes and acknowledged that he was wrong. Despite that, experts have constantly criticized Mickelson for his statement from March, completely ignoring the fact that he has already admitted Scheffler’s brilliance.

Shane Bacon of CBS Golf said, “I’m convinced this is the best golf tweet of all time and won’t take any other submissions.” He seems to suggest that Phil Mickelson’s hot take is so out-of-the-box that the tweet is iconic. Commenting on how long the tweet was relevant, Golf.com wrote, “It took 1.5 months for Phil’s take to become ice cold. 🥶.” Scheffler went on a winning spree after that, which only added more fuel to the fire. Taking a dig at Mickelson’s dark past, someone also said, “Fortunately for Phil… he’s not a gambling man. 🥶.” 

All of these responses came long after Mickelson had already apologized. Even Scottie Scheffler didn’t pay as much heed to the statement as the experts and fans. While he may have the habit of making controversial comments at times, did he really deserve this much disrespect despite coming clean about it? What many of them seem to forget is that Scottie Scheffler’s path to achieving greatness will require him to beat Phil Mickelson first. He is a legend in golf, no matter where he stands. While momentarily criticizing him for his absurd takes might be fine, dragging it on for months might not be necessary.