Fans know Phil Mickelson for his unorthodox practice techniques. But his Ryder Cup pre-match preparations involved more than a club. The 6-time Major Championship winner was once seen at a sniper shooting range ahead of the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris.

One of the captain’s picks for the event, the 2018 Ryder Cup, was an eventful one for Mickelson. It was the first Ryder Cup to be held in continental Europe since the turn of the millennium. Team Europe was the defending champions. They were considered favorites to win it again, considering the home advantage and a strong playing roster.

Phil Mickelson shoots his way towards Ryder Cup

Before the proceedings began in Paris, Mickelson began his preparations with some headline news. Fan saw him attempting a successful high kick over a popular CBS drama star, which made it to the news.

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But the act highlighted the then-48-year-old golfer’s incredible physical condition, and later showcased his mental preparations on the range, just not a golfing one.

Mickelson was seen sniper shooting in an unknown location. He seemed happy and highlighted on the importance of mental preparation in the captions of his post. It read, “How is today’s long range sniper shooting preparing me for the Ryder Cup? Meditation, controlling my thoughts, breathing, heart rate and connecting with the target are critical for both!”

‘Lefty’ then described the distance between him and the target along with climatic conditions. “1250 yards, slight cross-wind,” he said before taking a deep breath in. He then took a few seconds to take his aim and pulled the trigger. While the camera didn’t pan to his aim, Mickelson seemed happy about his shot, expressing his delight with a classic “nailed it”.

Did Mickelson’s preparations help in the Ryder Cup?

After being benched all day, Mickelson had a terrible fallout with the then-captain of Team USA, Jim Furyk. He scored 0 points for the team and was thrashed by Italian golfer Francesco Molinari 4 & 2 in singles matches.

He created some records to boot though – Mickelson went past Sir Nick Faldo for most appearances in the Ryder Cup (12). While he was made the vice-captain in the postponed 2021 edition, Mickelson didn’t pick his club for a hit on the range, signaling the potential end of a long Ryder Cup legend.