Phil Mickelson
by Arizona Golf Editor
Philip Alfred Mickelson (born June 16, 1970) (nicknamed “Lefty” for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed), is an American professional golfer. He is one of the leading players of his generation, having won three major championships and a total of 33 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years.
Career summary
Early years through college
Mickelson was born in San Diego, California and raised there and in Arizona. Mickelson swings a golf club left-handed, which he learned by watching his right-handed father swing and mirroring it. He is right-handed otherwise. He graduated from the University of San Diego High School in 1988, then attended Arizona State on a golf scholarship, where he graduated in 1992. During his time at Arizona State, Phil became the face of amateur golf in the United States, capturing three NCAA individual championships and three Haskins Awards (1990, 1991, 1992) as the outstanding collegiate golfer. He was the first collegiate golfer to earn first-team All-American honors all four years. In addition, in 1990, he became the first left-hander to win the U.S. Amateur title. Perhaps his greatest achievement, though, came in 1991 when he won his first PGA Tour tournament, the Northern Telecom Open. He did so as an amateur, becoming only the fourth in PGA history to accomplish this feat and the first since Scott Verplank, who won the 1985 Western Open in Chicago. (Click here to read the article in full)
