Is Phil Mickelson’s 2006 U.S. Open Meltdown the Greatest Heartbreak of His Golf Career?

Published 06/25/2022, 2:45 PM EDT

Everyone is not perfect all the time. With more than 50 titles worldwide, including 6 majors, Phil Mickelson is considered one of the best golfers of all time. Yet, a mistake on his end made him lose one of the prestigious tournaments for him, the 2006 U.S. Open!

A reputed media has even listed the incident as one of the most disastrous major golf tournament performances of all time.

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What happened to Phil Mickelson in the 2006 U. S. Open?

Mickelson shot 70-73-69 in the first three rounds of the 2006 U.S. Open. Notably, he led the field alongside Kenneth Ferrie, with a 1-shot lead against Geoff Ogilvy when the final round began.

Although the top positions changed throughout the event, Mickelson was still in the lead by one shot against Ogilvy when he entered the 18th hole. All he needed was to score an even-par for the title and a bogey for a playoff.

Notably, it would have been Mickelson’s third straight major win, as he had already won the 2005 PGA Championship and the 2006 Masters. And he had the potential to win at the Winged Foot as well. However, he went wrong from the tee shot on the No. 18 and finished with a double bogey.

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Interestingly, he is not the only golfer who had a bad day at the Winged Foot on Sunday. Colin Montgomerie was tied with Lefty when he entered the 18th hole. Although his drive was perfect, the golfer also finished his round with a double bogey, thus making way for Geoff Ogilvy to win his first and only major title.

Has Lefty won a Career Grand Slam?

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Career Grand Slam in golf means winning all the four major golf tournaments. Although Mickelson has won 6 throughout his career, he hasn’t won a U.S. Open, making him ‘not’ a Career Grand Slam winner. Interestingly, Lefty has been the runner-up at the U.S. Open a record 6 times.

Notably, only five had the privilege of winning the Career Grand Slam; Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gene Sarazen, Gary Player, and Ben Hogan. Apart from Mickelson, there are a few other golfers who are only one title away from their Career Grand Slam. The list includes Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth.

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Mickelson had many chances to win the U.S. Open. However, he had to settle for a runner-up position every time. Do you think he can win his career grand slam?

Watch This Story: When Phil Mickelson Detailed His Trash Talk Struggles With Tiger Woods

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Written by:

Anjana Prabhakaran is a Golf content writer at EssentiallySports. She has completed her Master's degree in Public Administration and considers researching as one of her hobbies. As her family is interested in sports, Anjana grew up watching every sport on television.

Edited by:

Jito Tenson

Is Phil Mickelson’s 2006 U.S. Open Meltdown the Greatest Heartbreak of His Golf Career?

What happened to Phil Mickelson in the 2006 U. S. Open?

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Has Lefty won a Career Grand Slam?