Standing on the tee at the 2017 Presidents Cup, a four-time PGA Tour champion expected pressure, wind, and high-stakes match play. What he didn’t expect was a pre-shot routine Phil Mickelson made him do that left him questioning everything he knew about preparation at the elite level.

“2017 we go to the President’s Cup, and they made us fill out surveys before you go, and it’s like individual, and you know nobody else sees it and it’s like who would you like to play with on the team? Who would you not? The only person I put I would not like to play with is Phil Mickelson because he drives it erratically and is hyper emotional and that’s just not how I play,” Kevin Kisner said on Fore Play Podcast, pulling back the curtain on the moment.

“And he’s [Phil Mickelson] like, ‘Look, Kiz, I can feed off your energy. So, you get your energy from your belly. So, every time I hit a shot, I want you to face me with your belly,'” he added. “And so we go down there, and he’s like, ‘And when I hit, I want you to stand on the other side of the ball and face me with your belly.’ For three matches, we played three matches together. We never lost. Yeah. I stood, so like I was moving people on tea boxes cuz you can see this on camera. So if he was teeing off from here, I would have to go stand by this tee marker. And he was like, ‘It even helps if you stick your belly out.’ I’m sticking my belly out at Phil Mickelson. And man, he played unbelievable.”

Intensity and volatility have defined Lefty’s career. For example, at the 2014 Ryder Cup, after a divisive team meeting, he reportedly took the onus of connecting with teammates on an individual level. This effectively shifted the team’s morale. However, this has worked both ways for him. During the 2018 US Open, Mickelson famously hit a moving ball on the 13th green at Shinnecock Hills. He admitted it was because of anger and frustration.

Because of such high emotions, Kisner didn’t want to play with the 45x PGA Tour winner. Even so, he ended up playing all three doubles matches with him. But what made the incident even funnier was the reason he had to do it.

U.S.A. captain Steve Stricker had told Kisner to play with the six-time major champion. And when the 42-year-old asked him why, Stricker revealed the veteran had forced him to do it. Lefty was the senior-most on a team that also included Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth, Matt Kuchar, Brooks Koepka, among others. Thus, he had the authority to pull off something like that.

But why did Mickelson do something like this? Kisner revealed Mickelson’s astrologist advised him to make pairings and oppositions based on the energy levels of individuals on both teams. Since Kisner had an A+ energy level, he was on Lefty’s team. Similarly, Marc Leishman and Jason Day had the lowest on the International team and thus became opponents.

During all three matches, Kisner supported Mickelson, standing with his belly out at Lefty during the tee times.

Kisner’s story adds another layer to Mickelson’s long-standing reputation for doing things his own way. While those quirky, high-energy moments once played out on some of the sport’s biggest stages, Mickelson’s presence has been far less consistent in recent months.

Phil Mickelson’s absence from the 2026 PGA Championship raises questions

The PGA of America had initially listed Mickelson in the field for the 2026 PGA Championship next week. However, he officially confirmed his withdrawal in a brief update in a message exchange with Flushing It Golf.

“I wish I could. I can’t unfortunately. I’m hoping to play the rest of the year after that but I honestly don’t know,” he said.

His absence points to a broader situation that has kept him away from much of the 2026 season. He didn’t play in the 2026 Masters either. That was the first time in nearly three decades that both he and Tiger Woods were absent from the first major of the season.

During that time, he said that he was dealing with a private family health matter. That has significantly limited his appearances on the course. He played just one event this year on the LIV Golf circuit: LIV Golf South Africa, where he finished tied for 48th.

That limited schedule has created uncertainty about his short-term future. Although Mickelson has implied that he wants to return for the remaining season, he didn’t offer a clear timeline.