Phil Mickelson has not made the cut at The Open since 2018, his only year advancing to the weekend since finishing as the runner-up to Henrik Stenson at Royal Troon in 2016.
The Open has granted Phil Mickelson a second chance by revising the age limit exemption for former champions.
Mickelson, who will be 54 in mid-June, was at risk of participating in The Open for one of the final times this summer following The R&A’s adjustment of its exemption criteria on Wednesday (6 March). The major change involves lowering the age limit for the first time since 2007.
Initially set at 65, it was then reduced to 60. Moving forward, the age limit will be 55. However, this modification will only affect new champions from this year onwards. This means that Mickelson, who claimed victory at Muirfield in 2013, along with all other past winners, can continue competing until they reach the age of 60.
According to a statement from The R&A, starting from 2024, players who win The Open will have exemption until the age of 55. Additionally, all golfers who are currently exempt as past champions will be able to participate in The Open until the age of 60.
The Open has confirmed that the American player is among the 22 individuals who have secured this exemption for The 152nd Open. Phil Mickelson, who won the PGA Championship in 2021, also earned his spot as one of the PGA Champions between 2018 and 2024.
Furthermore, several other players such as Brian Harman, Cameron Smith, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, and Tiger Woods have multiple exemptions as well.
Francesco Molinari, Henrik Stenson, and Zach Johnson have secured their spots as winners from the last ten editions, along with Mickelson. Ben Curtis, Darren Clarke, David Duval, Ernie Els, Louis Oosthuizen, John Daly, Justin Leonard, Padraig Harrington, Paul Lawrie, Stewart Cink, and Todd Hamilton make up the rest of the list with only one exemption.
Among the 22 players, there are several other LIV Golf players, but notably, Patrick Reed and Sergio Garcia do not have exemptions.
The best chance for them to play at Royal Troon is through the Open Qualifying Series, such as the Italian Open, or by making it through final qualifying this summer. Mickelson, on the other hand, does not have to worry about that and will return to Scotland over a decade after his first victory at The Open.
Mickelson’s remarks about winning at Muirfield three years ago still resonate. He expressed that it was one of his most significant victories, emphasizing the sense of accomplishment it brought him. He acknowledged that the style of golf played at the British Open wasn’t particularly suited to his game, making the win even more remarkable.
These concerns surrounding Mickelson’s performance at The Open are not baseless. Since his debut in 1994, he has only managed four top-ten finishes in this tournament. In contrast, he has achieved at least ten top-ten finishes in the other four majors and an impressive 16 at the Masters.
Within a span of six years, from 2011 to 2016, Mickelson secured three top-ten finishes at The Open, including a runner-up position sandwiched between his first and only victory. The only other notable performance was a third-place finish in 2004, which marked the only time he achieved a top-ten placement in all four majors in a single year.
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