It’s easy to forget that Phil Mickelson is just one major away from becoming only the sixth man in history to complete the career Grand Slam. Or perhaps you haven’t forgotten and have rather written it off as a lost cause following numerous failed attempts to win the US Open – the only major that evades Mickelson following 31 years on tour. Remarkably, the reality is that even at 52, Mickelson still possesses the skills needed to win the most demanding major of them all.
Will Mickelson make history in 2023?
If you were to go purely on the latest available US Open odds 2023 when trying to weigh up if Mickelson might in fact win the year’s third major then you would, in all likelihood, arrive at the conclusion that he won’t. At least, having been given a price of +12500 to win the 2023 US Open, it stands to reason that this is one major which will continue to evade Lefty.
What that price doesn’t reveal, however, is that this is a golfer who often saves his best performances for the playing of major championships. Whilst that was less evident during the PGA Championship in May when Mickelson finished 58th, it was certainly the case during the Masters in April when Mickelson finished second behind eventual champion Jon Rahm.
Phil Mickelson finishes his round as the clubhouse leader.
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 9, 2023
He shoots his lowest Final Round EVER at the Masters with a 65. pic.twitter.com/XtFN2Tem4P
Furthermore, it was only in 2021 that Mickelson became the oldest major champion in golf history when he won the PGA Championship aged 50 on Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course. The wider point is that all bets are normally off when Mickelson tees it up at a major as he calls on his experience, imagination, and showmanship to get him to the top of the leaderboard during golf’s biggest events.
Essentially, this all means that the odds of Mickelson winning the 123rd edition of the US Open are lower than what the current US Open prices suggest.
Having said that, it’s worth touching on Mickelson’s frame of mind going into the event at the Los Angeles Country Club.
Is Mickelson content?
While time hasn’t taken away Mickelson’s ability to win a professional golf tournament, question marks do currently linger over his temperament. Keep in mind that this is a man who has spent the lead-up to the US Open locked in heated exchanges with fellow player Rory Mcllroy and TV analyst Brandel Chamblee.
Of course, being outspoken and ready to fight his corner doesn’t mean that Mickelson can’t win the US Open but it does indicate that he is allowing himself to be swept up in the noise outside of professional competition. Yes, a player like Brooks Koepka reveals that he uses a chip on his shoulder to drive him on to greatness but it’s unclear if this strategy will work for Mickelson who has in the past, instead relied on his infectious charm and easy-going nature to get the best out of his talents on the course.
As the putts go down, the thumb comes up????
— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) May 21, 2021
Let’s have some fun and activate the thumbs this weekend pic.twitter.com/sOxwMEkBvr
Indeed, Mickelson was for the large majority of his career considered a fan favorite and might be seen flashing a warm smile and a trademark thumbs-up at adoring galleries around the world over the last three decades.
Is Mickelson making life unnecessarily hard for himself?
The window of opportunity to win a US Open is still open for Mickelson but you also wouldn’t go as far as to say that time is on his side. Alas, however, the remaining years that Mickelson does have to win a career Grand Slam look like they will be spent battling more than just the courses he plays on as he continues to get involved in trivial narratives away from the course.
