Over the course of the 161-year history of major championship golf, there have been six defining moments that have forever been etched into the game’s annals. In 1913 the boy-caddie, Francis Ouimet, defeated Harry Vardon and Ted Ray to win the United States Open at the Country Club. In 1953 Ben Hogan returned from a near-death car crash to crush his opponents and win the U.S. Open at Oakmont. Arnold Palmer charged from 15th place in the final round to capture the 1960 National Open at Cherry Hills. Jack Nicklaus shocked the golfing world in 1986 by shooting a final-nine 30 at age 46 to win his sixth Masters green jacket and 18th major title. Less than one year removed from college golf, Tiger Woods prevailed in the 1997 Masters to win by an eye-popping 12 strokes.
Last Sunday, Phil Mickelson became the oldest golfer to win a major championship as he defeated a star-studded field during the PGA Championship on the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. He was just one month shy of his 51st birthday and it was his sixth major title. Going into last week’s PGA, Mickelson was a very distant 168th in the Fed Ex Cup standings and was considered to be the 115th-best golfer, according to the Official World Golf Rankings. Had anyone showed a lack of golf knowledge and put an emotional $100 bet on Phil to win the PGA Championship, they would have pocketed $20,000. Just prior to the PGA, Phil was considered washed up.
Then again, I’m not sure that was vintage Phil Mickelson we saw over those four rounds at Kiawah Island. He wore sunglasses, walked slowly, didn’t actively engage with the crowd as has been his history, and he wasn’t the all-or-nothing golfer that we had been so very familiar with. Mickelson has often been compared to Arnold Palmer for his bold and sometimes foolhardy approach to the game, but this time around it wasn’t that Phil of old. He kept the ball in play, played it safe when it was necessary, and swung with fluidity and confidence. The only thing that was very reminiscent of Phil Mickelson’s game was a brilliant short game that featured dynamic lob shots, rock-solid chips, superb sand play, and a putting touch to die for.
Unlike Arnold and Jack, Phil was lurking around the leader board from the very start. His first-round 2-under-par 70 left him within striking range of Cory Connors. A second-round 69 in extremely windy conditions found him tied atop the leader board with South African Louis Oosthuizen. A moving day 70 had Phil one shot clear of four-time major champ Brooks Koepka and two ahead of Oosthuizen. Nonetheless it wasn’t a sure thing that Mickelson would prevail on Sunday, especially when he was playing alongside Koepka. While the majority of golf fans were hoping for a Phil win at the Ocean Course, just as many were fearful of a Winged Foot-style meltdown somewhere during the course of the final round. After all it was Phil. After all there had never before been an almost-51-year-old winner of a grand slam event.
Sunday afternoon came around and early on it was vintage old-style Phil Mickelson. He lost two strokes on the first hole and was one back. On the second hole, he made birdie and jumped ahead by two strokes. One hole later he lost one of those strokes with a bogey. After matching pars on the fourth hole, Mickelson pulled his tee shot on the fifth hole into the left bunker. He holed out from the sand for a birdie-two and went back up by two strokes. On the sixth hole, Phil made bogey, Koepka made birdie, and it was all even again.
On the seventh tee, Phil’s little brother and caddie, Tim Mickelson, gave big brother the “straighten up and fly right speech.” In reality he told Phil to start committing to making quality golf swings. By the time Phil birdied the 10th hole, his lead was up to four strokes, and while Koepka and Oosthuizen would nibble away at the lead, Phil had the moxie and the sense of calm to end up winning the PGA Championship by two strokes over both of his closest pursuers.
As the crowd rushed out onto the 18th fairway and enveloped both Phil and Koepka, it was readily apparent that all of us were witnessing a magical moment in the history of golf. When Mickelson tapped in for par on the 18th hole, he had joined fellow Hall of Famers Lee Trevino and Nick Faldo with six major titles, 12th best on the all-time list.
That Mickelson won at Kiawah Island is even more of a head-scratcher. The Ocean Course was designed by the diabolical Pete Dye and his wife Alice. It is one tough course with problems off the tee in the form of water and sand. The greens are undulating and difficult. Because of its setting along the South Carolina coast, the wind is a major factor. After three rounds of play, the nine golf holes played into the wind accounted for a combined 1,079 over par among those in the field. The nine holes played downwind penciled out to 22-under-par. Yes, Kiawah Island is one tough course.
On top of that, the leader board was crowded with the likes of four-time major winner Koepka, past British Open champ Oosthuizen, reigning British Open champ Paul Lowry, defending PGA champion Collin Morikawa, John Rahm, Will Zalatoris, Rickie Fowler, Tony Finau and Abraham Ancer, who carded a final-round 65. We also shouldn’t forget a three-time major champion who ended up tied for fourth, namely Irishman Padraig Harrington. Padraig is approaching his 50th birthday and is the European team’s Ryder Cup captain this September at Whistling Straits, another Pete Dye course of note. Phil Mickelson defeated the strongest field in major championship golf and he was atop a leader board of incredible note.
Tips of the golf cap need to go to club pro Brian Cook of Grand Rapids and Brad Marek, who is a teaching pro at the Alameda Municipal Golf Course. These two club professionals made the cut in a tournament where Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele, Sergio Garcia, Justin Thomas and other top-notch tour players did not. It was also a very good week for the colorful and largely unknown Harry Higgs, who finished tied for fourth. He’s a buddy of ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt
Yet when golf historians look back upon the 2021 PGA Championship on the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, the overriding theme will be that Phil Mickelson won the tournament in a most historic fashion. Following play, Phil stated that it might be the final win of his long, illustrious career. Then again, he inferred that maybe it will be the start of a couple-year run of impressive championship golf. Regardless of what the future holds, the 2021 PGA will forever be one of the game’s most memorable moments, right up there with Ouimet, Arnie and the others.
