Five-time major champion Phil Mickelson is used to being in contention at majors. After posting a 5-under through the first two rounds at the PGA Championship, he’s joined some elite company.
Mickelson is now the sixth men’s golfer since 1900 to hold the lead or co-lead a major after a round in four different decades, joining the following all-time greats: Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Gary Player, Sam Snead and Raymond Floyd.
While Mickelson’s five major wins represents a significant milestones, he’s contended for plenty of other championships during his storied career. Heading into this weekend at Kiawah Island, S.C., Mickelson had 38 top-10 finishes at major tournaments.
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His last win came at The Open Championship in 2013, when Mickelson overcame a five-stroke deficit in the final round. He was the only player in the field to shoot under par for the tournament.
Mickelson shot 2-under on Thursday and 3-under on Friday to finish the first two rounds tied for the lead with Louis Oosthuizen. In Friday’s second round, Mickelson was 6-under through the first 11 holes but bogeyed three of his final six. It was nearly a perfect inverse of his first round, when he shot 2-over on the front nine but was 4-under in a bogey-free back nine.
Mickelson’s only win at the PGA Championship came in 2005, when he had at least a share of the lead after every round. He has since had two top-10 finishes at the tournament, and until this week had not made the cut since 2016.
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