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While the golf world continues to watch Tiger Woods struggle at major championships and wonder whether it’s time for him to hang it up, another one of the sports legends sounds like he’s actually considering doing so.
Phil Mickelson has struggled just as much as Woods in majors recently. He missed the cut at PGA Championship and U.S. Open and finished outside the top 40 at the Masters and Open Championship. And now the 54-year-old six-time major champ says it might be time to consider his future.
“I see glimpses and my teammates see glimpses of me being where I expect to be able to compete at this level, but I’m also realistic with myself, and if I’m not able to I’ll step aside and let somebody come on in and take the HyFlyers to new levels,” Mickelson said during a news conference on Wednesday ahead of a LIV Golf event.
Mickelson, who captains his LIV Golf team, has just one top-10 finish this year on the tour. He hasn’t finished in the top 20 since March.
“I’m not part of those conversations. At 54, my schedule and my desires are going to be totally different than most of the players,” Mickelson said of ongoing talks about LIV and PGA Tour merger. “So bigger picture we have to do what’s best for the players on LIV and the best for the players throughout the game of golf and not just focus on a 54-year-old, so my desires aren’t really relevant, I would say, in that conversation.”
While he may retire from full-time play, Mickelson said he wants to continue to play majors much like Woods.
“I’m in every major on the regular tour next year, and I’ll be in three of the four majors for the next six, seven years. I would love to compete and give myself a chance to win in those, and I also want to build this out and create a culture that is sustainable and that people strive to be a part of.”
With Woods and Mickelson seemingly on the brink of retirement, it sure feels like the end of one of the greatest chapter’s in golf history.