Phil will be swinging in his sixties
PHIL MICKELSON has been tipped to be a Major contender until he is 60 as he loves “smelling blood” at the top of the leaderboard.
That’s the view of his long-time former caddie Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay, who was on his bag for 25 years until 2017.
Mickelson has since become the oldest Major winner, in May at the US PGA Championship, with his brother Tim on his bag.
Now Surrey-born Mackay believes Mickelson, who turned 51 last month, can go on rivalling his younger competitors at The Masters – plus other courses in windy conditions.
Mackay was the American’s bag man at Royal St George’s 10 years ago when the man from San Diego finished tied for second behind Darren Clarke.
And he expects 2013 Open winner Mickelson, who also has three Masters titles and two PGAs in his Majors haul, to be a
contender again this week. Mackay, working in Kent with American broadcaster NBC and the Golf Channel, said: “He can contend in tournaments for several more years, without question. He could contend at Augusta towards the age of 60.
“He has a long syrupy swing which puts very little pressure on
the rest of his body, which to a large degree is why he has been able to stay injury-free.
“The one thing about Phil is he can smell blood. If he gets a little bit of momentum, he knows how to perform. He proved that at the PGA. He handled it so incredibly well and was as comfortable doing that as playing in a pro-am with a local dentist. It is how he is built.” The Open, postponed last year due to Covid is back in Kent for the first time since 2011, when Mickelson finished alongside Dustin Johnson, three shots behind Northern Ireland’s Clarke. Mackay added: “He played very well at St George’s. He has won an Open Championship and is a criminally under-rated iron player. Phil can keep the ball down in the wind. “Should the conditions get really testy there, that plays into his hands.
“Phil showed at Kiawah Island, where it was hard to get the ball up and down, that he still has the will, but a lot of guys don’t.” Mackay was speaking in association with Aon, who sponsor a season-long competition, testing players to make strategic decisions on ‘Aon Risk Reward Challenge holes’. At the end of the season, the player with the lowest average score under par captures an equal $1million prize in both the men’s and women’s game. Mackay likes the concept, which underlines the importance of good, clear decision-making between players and their caddie.
He added: “The caddies work at the golf course an incredible amount before the players get to town.”