Phil Mickelson got off to a great—and exciting—start to the 2025 British Open on Thursday morning at Royal Portrush. In other words, it was vintage Phil Mickelson.
The six-time major champ had the early lead after making the turn in two under on Day 1. But it was a par in particular that had fans excited about Mickelson potentially turning back the clock.
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Mickelson found a bunker on the par-4 third hole with his approach shot and Lefty looked like he’d drop at least one shot after leaving his first attempt in the sand. And then he did this:
A short game masterclass.
Mickelson holes out from the sand. pic.twitter.com/hEX1brav4i— The Open (@TheOpen) July 17, 2025
That’s peak Phil right there. The man may be 55, but like we saw last month with that insane sideways/backwards hole-out in a LIV event, those hands still have some magic in them.
Mickelson, the 2013 Open champ at Muirfield, has a T-60 and four missed cuts in his past five Open starts. But after this start on Thursday, he’s got his sights set a lot higher.
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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
