Phil Mickelson, who turns 51 in June, became the oldest major champion in PGA Tour history on Sunday, as he staved off challengers Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen with a 1-over 73 to win the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island's Ocean Course in South Carolina. It was the sixth major title of Mickelson's career, and his first since 2013.
So, where does the veteran Mickelson now rank among the all-time greats? CBS golf analyst Ian Baker-Finch joined the Tiki and Tierney show on Monday to discuss Mickelson's legacy and his age-defying accomplishment.
"We've seen for years a lot of the 50-year-olds and 50-pluses compete, but just not be able to get across the line. It takes tremendous focus, composure, resolve. Not just the ability or the desire," Baker-Finch said. "Phil's maintained that through ups and downs... If you had to pick a major championship venue that Phil would not do well [on], it would be that one. Because it's brutal. I mean, it's a beast. You have to hit it in the fairway. If you don't, you can have sevens and eights -- as we saw, 110 triples or worse during the week. So, just an amazing accomplishment for someone's who really put in the hard yards over the last couple years to try and remain young at 50...
"I don't think the focus is easier. I think that gets harder as you get older. Wandering off, not having that clarity. Desire you can build over decades, but to have the desire to continually push yourself physically to maintain the ability to allow you to compete with a Brooks Koepka? That's pretty impressive... The experience was there, but he's really worked hard the last year or two on trying to improve his mental ability to go with that physical capability that he's gifted. I mean, he's obviously gifted. He's won 44 [tournaments] before yesterday. And going from five majors to six, yes, that puts him in now an even more elite group of 14 players in history with six majors or more.
"Just a lot goes with that win. I think more than anything, he's now immortal. He's now done something that I doubt Tiger [Woods] will be able to do, unfortunately, because he's not physically capable. Certainly, he may come back to be, but I can't image it. He's done something really, really special, and something different to what we're used to seeing. If Phil had bogeyed the last three holes and lost by a shot, that would be more of what you probably would've expected of a 50-year-old competing at that high of level on a grueling test like the Ocean Course."
With the PGA Championship win, Mickelson surpassed Julius Boros (age 48, 1968 PGA Championship) as the oldest major champion. Mickelson also became the first player in PGA Tour history to win tournaments 30 years apart, and just the 10th player to win majors in three different decades.
The entire conversation between Baker-Finch and Tiki and Tierney can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Tiki and Tierney Show on Twitter @TikiAndTierney and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.