Phil Mickelson is nicely conscious that his window to finish the profession Grand Slam is getting slimmer and slimmer.
However the 54-year-old will try to finish the milestone with a serious upset at subsequent week’s U.S. Open, the one of the 4 main championships he has but to win.
Mickelson acknowledged that this U.S. Open, which kicks off June 12 at Oakmont Nation Membership in Pittsburgh, may very well be his final likelihood at changing into the seventh golfer to perform the feat.
“There’s a high likelihood that it will be,” Mickelson mentioned Wednesday at a press convention at Robert Trent Jones Golf Membership in Gainesville, Virginia, the place this week’s LIV Golf match is being held. “However I haven’t actually thought of it an excessive amount of.
This 12 months marks the final of Mickelson’s five-year exemption into the U.S. Open subject, which he earned by successful the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, South Carolina.
With out the exemption, he would wish to undergo the qualifying course of, a two-stage system that features a native 18-hole qualifier and a ultimate 36-hole qualifier.
Mickelson mentioned he hasn’t thought-about whether or not he could be prepared to undergo that course of sooner or later.
“I don’t know,” he mentioned. “I haven’t thought that far.”
Mickelson has completed runner-up on the U.S. Open a report six occasions, though he has missed the lower on the match the final three years.
The San Diego native, who’s a number of weeks from turning 55, has received 45 PGA Tour occasions, together with three Masters titles, two PGA Championships and one Open Championship in his legendary profession.
The USGA introduced a pathway for LIV golfers to instantly qualify for the U.S. Open in February, which might give Mickelson a shot at an exemption for the 2026 match at Shinnecock Hills.
An automated spot will likely be awarded to the main golfer in LIV Golf’s ultimate particular person standings from this 12 months — if they don’t seem to be already exempt.
Mickelson is presently fifteenth.
