Born: June 16, 1970
Birthplace: San Diego, CA
Height: 6'2â"
Weight: 190 lbs.
Turned Pro: 1992
Bio
Whether you love him or hate him, Phil Mickelson has always been an exciting player to watch. There is no denying the raw ability that he possesses on the golf course and his gambling style always makes for good entertainment even if it has cost him more tournaments than it has won him.
Phil is coming off one of his finest seasons on the PGA Tour after winning the Masters as his first Major victory and coming oh so close in the other three; with a second place finish at the US Open, a third place finish at the British Open and a tie for sixth at the PGA Championship. He also won the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and jumped back to number six in the world rankings after a bit of a struggle in 2003.
Even though he didn't join the PGA Tour until 1992, Phil made an early impression by winning the Northern Telecom Open in 1991. He is the last player to have won a PGA event as an amateur. Phil is also the only left-handed player ever to have won the US Amateur and one of only three players to win the US Amateur and the NCAA Championship in the same year, joining two unknowns by the names of Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
He has long been known for his boyish charm and his ultra hot wife but with a Masters win under his belt Phil can finally be recognized as a truly great golfer.
Quick Facts
PGA TOUR Victories
(25) 1991 Northern Telecom Open. 1993 Buick Invitational of California, The International. 1994 Mercedes Championships. 1995 Northern Telecom Open. 1996 Nortel Open, Phoenix Open, GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic, NEC World Series of Golf. 1997 Bay Hill Invitational, Sprint International. 1998 Mercedes Championships, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. 2000 Buick Invitational, BellSouth Classic, MasterCard Colonial, THE TOUR Championship. 2001 Buick Invitational, Canon Greater Hartford Open. 2002 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, Canon Greater Hartford Open. 2004 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, Masters Tournament. 2005 FBR Phoenix Open, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
International Victories
(1): 1993 Perrier Open [Eur].
Equipment
There has been a lot of talk about Phil Mickelson's equipment in 2004; midway through one of his best seasons ever Phil ended his equipment contract with Titleist. The story is that Phil wanted to renegotiate his contract with Titleist for more money and they told him to take a hike. It didn't take long for Callaway to scoop him up with a fourteen club plus ball and footwear deal.
Since joining the Callaway staff Phil has been playing with several different prototype drivers but the one that looks like it will stay in his bag for awhile is a 10-degree Fusion prototype model. This driver is bigger than the one currently available to the public and is fitted with a Graphite Design PM702 shaft X-Stiff. This is a shaft that was designed for Phil Mickelson; it is a high kick point shaft with 3.2 degrees of torque.
Phil carries just one fairway wood, a Callaway Big Bertha three wood 15 degrees. He also plays the Callaway Heavenwood 3H model with 20 degrees of loft.
Initially after signing the deal with Callaway Golf, Phil was using the new forged X-Tour irons. He has since switched over to a PM forged prototype model designed by Roger Cleveland. The set is a forged cavity back that looks very similar to the long irons Phil used in his old Titleist 731 PM set but they are a cavity all the way from 3 to PW. Phil uses these with the Rifle Project X shafts. For wedges he plays the Forged + 52 and 60 degree.
Phil's putter is an Odyssey PM prototype in the familiar blade design. This putter is similar to the Scotty Cameron blade he played with Titleist and is basically a copycat of the Wilson 8802 model that has been around for ages. The putter unlike most made by Odyssey does not have a face insert.
For a ball Phil uses an HX Tour prototype model. This is the ball that will probably hit stores in the spring of 2005.