Where would you rank Mickelson’s major win at 50?

[Doon frae Troon]

My friends father retired aged 67 playing off 8/9 handicap.
He got down to 3 within a year. Playing on a top 100 ranked links course that is an Open Qualifier.
He was still playing single figure well into his 80's.
Absolute club legend.
In golf almost anything is possible.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Impressive and nice to see.

I think someone will eclipse this though and win a major in their 50’s. Logical for this to be the case as people are so much fitter through middle age now. I would not be surprised to see Mickleson win another green jacket or Open for example.

This goes counter to what I would expect; in an era where we're being told distance is everything (or at least of increasing importance), my thinking was that golf would increasingly be a young man's game at the top level.

I still think that it probably is, but the opportunity to win will always be there for those that continue to be good drivers of the ball even as they get older. As mentioned above, this tournament played like a links tournament, and the open has thrown up a few surprise winners over the years.

 

[Skypilot]

Fantastic, gives me hope having turned 70 a few months ago .

 

[theoneandonly]

This goes counter to what I would expect; in an era where we're being told distance is everything (or at least of increasing importance), my thinking was that golf would increasingly be a young man's game at the top level.

I still think that it probably is, but the opportunity to win will always be there for those that continue to be good drivers of the ball even as they get older. As mentioned above, this tournament played like a links tournament, and the open has thrown up a few surprise winners over the years.

You'd think Phil was a doddery old goat knocking it 150 off the tee the way some are portraying his senior win! He was getting 180mph ball speed on a few drives, which is damn fast!!!
He's still in the top 50 for driving distance and averages over 300yds, this week he managed to keep most of them within the boudaries of the course

 

[Crow]

Great achievement by Phil but I can't help but feel that the rest of the field didn't turn up, especially the stronger players.

Where were the challenges from McIlroy, Thomas, DJ, Rham, Reed, etc, etc?

Phil almost shuffled into the title.

 

[hines57]

Just goes to show that there is more to the game than the fixation on distance. His ball control and course management what superb over the 4 days. Well done Phil

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

The new order and timing of the majors is far better. Allows the Open to be later when there should be better weather, and the earlier PGA allows more variety on where it is - Kiawah would have been far too hot in August for example

Well, I'm elderly. You know how we handle change.
I'm still complaining about Windows 10.

 

[garyinderry]

Cant help feeling the waste areas weren't as penal as they were made out to be. A lot was said about no rakes but was it really an issue.

Many times players missed the fairway and they had a pretty simple shot off flattish sand. I'd like to have seen the sand resemble the surface of the moon. Then we would have had some real carnage and penalties for missing the fairway.

Have to hand it to phil. Unreal short game exhibition for the most. Topping the charts off the tee takes some doing for a man who normally looks like he has no clue where the ball Is going.

All in all a decent tournament. Brooks let the final round down but can be forgiven since he is carrying a pretty serious knee injury. Many big names didnt show or grind it out. Poor from them.

 

[Blue in Munich]

Both Phil & Tiger are behind Jack for me; a last round of 65 (-7) and a back 9 of 30 (-6) to take the 1986 Masters.

 

[MarkT]

The drive on 18 went exactly where he wanted it to go.

Agreed, he wasn't going anywhere near those bunkers. Was going to be a 5 at worst

 

[sunshine]

A good tournament on a great course that was really well set up. Ultimately it wasn’t that dramatic, although fair play to Phil to keep it together, very well deserved . To be honest I can think of quite a few majors that were more dramatic or spectacular... it’s a personal view but others have listed quite a few already.

 

[IanMcC]

I will go against the grain of this thread. 50 is not that old. The advancement of technology in the balls and clubs have negated a lot of the bias against older players. Mickelson played well, and was a worthy winner, but when Stenson beat him at the Open I think Mickelson's performance was better, never mind Stenson's. And that is only one. Off the top of my head, and without Googling, Tiger Woods winning at Pebble Beach early in the 21st century by about 13 shots is the most impressive for me.

 

[Orikoru]

I thought it was incredible. As another post touched upon, I think most people thought he was over as a 'force' so to speak - good for a few highlights but ultimately too wild off the tee these days to threaten. But to content and then win a major at 50, fighting off someone like Brooks on the Sunday as well, superb.

On the one hand, he finally dialled back some of the tee shots as people have been saying he should do for years. But on the other hand, I read that he was using a maximum-length driver with around 5° of loft, so he's basically gone full Bryson without anyone making such a big deal about it, because I suppose they never expected it to matter that much what Phil was doing. But then he goes and gets the longest drive of the week on the Sunday (albeit very wind assisted). He obviously knew his golf game was still strong enough, he just needed to find a way to focus better for the whole four days, and he succeeded in doing that. He's a wily old dog.

Tiger coming back and winning the Masters after all his surgeries and personal issues was still better though.

 

[pokerjoke]

When Tiger comes back again and wins that will top everything.
Pleased for Phil he got the job done and you can only beat what’s in front of you.
Not really put under immense pressure and the best final rounds were lower down the field,however he did beat one of the great major players at what really was a head to head.

 

[clubchamp98]

The field was one of the best ever so many great players that could win. ( minus Tiger)
He beat them all .
So it’s up there with the best imo.
His age makes it special for lots of golfers around the globe.
If Phil can do it at 50 so can they.
Awesome win.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

The field was one of the best ever so many great players that could win. ( minus Tiger)
He beat them all .
So it’s up there with the best imo.
His age makes it special for lots of golfers around the globe.
If Phil can do it at 50 so can they.
Awesome win.

When you think Richard Brand won the British Masters the week before at 48 it's been a great time for older pro golfers. It must give hope to others who were thinking the young guns would sweep everything up now.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I think that as well as praising Mickleson for the win, we should recognise Koepka for managing a runners up spot in a major just months after undergoing knee surgery. Also very impressive.