U.S. Open may be Mickelson's last Slam chance

Phil Mickelson is successful the tract for adjacent week's U.S. Open astatine Oakmont Country Club successful Pittsburgh, and the six-time large champion acknowledged Wednesday that it mightiness beryllium his past accidental to implicit the vocation Grand Slam.

It volition beryllium the last twelvemonth of Mickelson's five-year exemption for capturing the 2021 PGA Championship astatine Kiawah Island, South Carolina, wherever helium became the oldest large title winner.

Mickelson, 54, is simply a six-time runner-up astatine the U.S. Open, the lone 1 of the 4 large championships that helium hasn't won. He would go the seventh golfer to execute the milestone, aft Rory McIlroy did it astatine the Masters successful April.

"I haven't thought astir it excessively much," Mickelson said during a quality league astatine Robert Trent Jones Golf Club successful Gainesville, Virginia, the tract of this week's LIV Golf League tournament. "There's a precocious likelihood that it volition be, but I haven't truly thought astir it excessively much."

Asked if helium would enactment successful unfastened qualifying for aboriginal U.S. Opens if helium isn't exempt, Mickelson said, "I don't know. I haven't thought that far."

In February, the U.S. Open became the archetypal large to make a nonstop pathway for LIV Golf players, creating a caller exemption that awarded a spot successful the tract to the starring subordinate successful the idiosyncratic points standings connected May 19.

Next year, the apical golfer successful the last points standings this play volition get a spot successful the 2026 U.S. Open. The subordinate indispensable beryllium not already exempt and decorativeness successful the apical three.

The apical 60 players successful the Official World Golf Ranking are besides included successful the U.S. Open field. Players don't get OWGR points for their LIV Golf League finishes -- Mickelson is presently ranked 1,162nd successful the world.

Mickelson, a three-time Masters champion, has a beingness exemption to play astatine Augusta National Golf Club, arsenic good arsenic the PGA Championship, which helium won twice. He tin play successful the Open Championship until he's 60 aft collecting a Claret Jug successful 2013.

Mickelson turns 55 connected June 16.

Mickelson besides hinted Wednesday that the extremity of his playing vocation successful the LIV Golf League mightiness not beryllium excessively acold away. He said he'll support competing arsenic a playing skipper of HyFlyers GC, arsenic agelong arsenic he's not hurting his team.

"I privation this squad to succeed," Mickelson said. "I don't privation to clasp it back. If I'm not an asset, if I'm not helping, if I'm holding it back, past it's clip for maine to determination connected and get idiosyncratic other successful present who is going to truly assistance the squad triumph and succeed. These guys merit to acquisition that, and I privation them to. As a spouse successful this team, I privation that, arsenic well."

Mickelson is 15th successful the idiosyncratic points standings, the highest presumption connected his team. He finished 3rd successful a tourney successful Hong Kong and sixth successful Miami.

"This twelvemonth I've played better," Mickelson said. "I consciousness similar I've held it backmost the past mates years. I had a large off-season. I don't consciousness I'm holding it backmost now. If I tin proceed to play well, assistance the squad succeed, past I privation to play. But if not, I'm besides realistic and I privation the squad to win much than I privation my ain idiosyncratic involvement [in] playing."