Phil Mickelson Makes PGA Tour Champions Debut

Lefty makes his first start on the over-50s circuit this week after being eliminated from the FedEx Cup Playoffs

Phil Mickelson Makes PGA Tour Champions Debut
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Lefty makes his first start on the over-50s circuit this week after being eliminated from the FedEx Cup Playoffs

Phil Mickelson Makes PGA Tour Champions Debut

Phil Mickelson makes his first start on the PGA Tour Champions this week having turned 50 back in June.

The five-time Major winner tees it up at Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri, with the event taking place from Monday to Wednesday.

Lefty will be looking to emulate Jim Furyk who recently won in his PGA Tour Champions debut.

Mickelson will likely continue playing mainly on the PGA Tour, having said earlier this year that whilst he's still hitting 'bombs', his priority is the main tour.

He certainly is still hitting bombs, having averaged over 300 yards off the tee this season on the PGA Tour.

"He hit some bombs out there today," Lee Janzen said after his practice round with Mickelson on Sunday.

"I know he's all about hitting the bombs...he outdrove us by 60 yards on one hole."

Mickelson will make his debut this week following his missed cut at The Northern Trust, which meant he finished in the 75th FedEx Cup to miss out on the BMW Championship.

The 50-year-old announced on social media his intentions to play following his missed cut at TPC Boston.

"I’m going to play the Champions event this Monday," he wrote on Twitter.

"I’ve been playing well and I want to play. I wish I was playing in Chicago next week but excited to play my first Champions event."

Related: Phil Mickelson What's in the bag?

Mickelson's best result of the year came just a few weeks ago at the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational where he was T2nd.

Another 50-year-old to make their PGA Tour Champions debut this week is 2002 PGA Champion and Sky Sports commentator Rich Beem.

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV