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‘What a Great Champion He Is’: Phil Mickelson Once Graciously Accepted Defeat And Spoke Encouraging Words For Recently Sacked European Ryder Cup Captain

Published 07/30/2022, 7:00 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

Phil Mickelson is one of the most controversial players of all time. The six-time major winner has made many records on the field. But his fans know him better for his diplomatic statements in media interactions and other interviews. However, one thing that has never changed about Phil Mickelson is his wide smile. No matter what the situation is, one will always see the golfer’s happy face.

And surprisingly, the same happened when he lost an event in close competition with a fellow golfer. Mickelson’s reaction to his unexpected loss in the event was worth looking at.

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Phil Mickelson gracefully accepts his loss

Mickelson’s game in the 2016 British Open was commendable. The golf ace shot a spectacular bogey-free, six-under 65. Lefty still lost to his fellow competitor and only his bad luck was to blame. But instead of being frustrated or angry about his loss at such a tournament, he appeared for a post-game interview with a smile.

via Reuters

Mickelson lost playing against Swedish professional golfer Henrik Stenson, who made 10 birdies in the game. Lefty said in his interview with Golf Channel, “I thought we played pretty good golf. I hit a lot of good shots and Henrik made 10 birdies. He and I have been friends for quite some time and I really like and respect him.”

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Mickelson continued to praise his old friend Stenson and said, “He’s a class act and he played phenomenal. He hit the ball so solid yesterday and today especially… What a great champion he is.” It is hard to not feel bad about Mickelson after this loss, as he was very close to breaking the record for the all-time lowest score in any major championship yet.

Mickelson shares his views about playing on the LIV Tour

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Mickelson was one of the earliest birds to join the LIV Tour as soon as the offer came in. Before officially joining the Saudi-backed league, Mickelson received a lot of buzz for his controversial comments against the PGA Tour. He also kept forward his views about joining the LIV Tour and said he would not resign from the PGA Tour. He said, “When I think about being a part of LIV Golf, I feel so good about it.” Mickelson also later apologized for the comments that he made about the former PGA Tour.

Watch This Story: Phil Mickelson Once Comfortably Won a $1000 Bet, but Returned the Money! Here’s Why.

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Written by:

Joydeep Singh

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Joydeep Singh is a Golf writer at EssentiallySports. Having completed his Bachelor's degree in Business Management, he possesses a writing experience of more than four years now. Having picked up on following golf for quite some time now, his favorite is the legendary Tiger Woods, whose games he just does not miss.
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Edited by:

Manaal Siddiqui

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