Mickelson: I haven’t got many left in me

PHIL MICKELSON needs no reminder that his window of opportunity to complete a grand slam of golf’s four majors is quickly closing.

Mickelson, who turns 48 on Saturday, has been a US Open runner-up a record six times and this week’s event at Shinnecock Hills and next year’s at Pebble Beach could be his last real shots at joining the exclusive club.

“The difficult thing for me is I put a little bit too much pressure on myself in the majors now because I know I don’t have a ton of time to win them, especially US Opens,” said Mickelson.

“But these next two US Opens, Shinnecock and Pebble Beach, give me two really good opportunities.

“So I need to get my game sharp, but I really need to be on those weeks and in the past I’ve been on at Shinnecock and I’m hopeful of doing it again.”

When the US Open was last held at Shinnecock Hills, in 2004, Mickelson went to the penultimate hole with the lead but suffered a crushing doublebogey and lost to Retief Goosen by two strokes.

This time, Lefty is excited about the course set-up, which was a serious source of criticism in 2004.

“This year’s is the greatest set-up I have seen in my 25-whatever years of playing the US Open.

“It will reward the best player as opposed to having luck be a big element on some of the bounces in the fairway, bounces around the green, how it comes out of the rough.

“Skill is going to be the primary factor this week.”