Phil Mickelson’s LIV Golf career: 5 things you need to know

Phil Mickelson’s athletic accomplishments have earned him a place among the stars of world golf. More than 50 professional victories, including 42 on the PGA Tour and six majors, speak volumes about what “Lefty” means to the sport.

But his impact goes far beyond his victories. Phil Mickelson is a natural leader in the world of golf. Add his results and his leadership, and it is no surprise that he was one of the top signings for LIV Golf’s inaugural season.

How has Phil Mickelson performed athletically with LIV Golf? Let’s take a look.

5 Things to Know About Phil Mickelson’s LIV Golf Career

Phil Mickelson’s time with LIV Golf has not been as successful as he would have liked, athletically speaking. However, from a symbolic and media standpoint, his presence in the league has been fundamental to their interests.

Here are five details about Phil Mickelson’s time with LIV Golf

1. The signing of a star

Until Jon Rahm’s arrival at LIV Golf, Phil Mickelson’s signing was the highest of any player on the circuit, according to available information. “Lefty” reportedly signed with LIV Golf for an estimated $200 million, plus other perks such as owning his own team.

Captain’s status is no small matter. As per February 2024, team captains doesn’t lose their LIV Golf membership status regardless of their performance. Captains are exempt from relegation, which (fair or not, depending on how you look at it) undoubtedly adds security to their careers.

2. He has never missed an event

Phil Mickelson has played in all 22 LIV Golf individual events to date and did not miss the 2023 Team Championship either. His individual results have fallen short of his expectations, as he has only finished in the top 10 twice.

Mickelson’s best finish to date was finish 8th at LIV Golf Chicago in 2022. He then finished 10th at Bedminster in 2023. Three other top-20 finishes round out his best performances. These results ranked him 34th in the 2022 individual standings and 39th in the 2023 individual standings.

3. Competitive team

Lefty captains the HyFlyers GC team, with which he has had several good performances. Phil Mickelson’s team did not win an event so far, but finished in the top 8 seven times in 13 tournaments in the 2023 season. They finished 9th in the team championship. The best player on the team was Cameron Tringale, who finished 16th in the 2023 individual standings.

4. Overview of his statistics

Mickelson has played 66 rounds at LIV Golf, with an average score between even par and 1 over. His best round to date has been the second at LIV Golf Adelaide (7 under) and his worst rounds have been the third at LIV Golf London in 2022 and the second at LIV Golf Mayakoba in 2024, both with scores of 6 over.

During the 2024 season, he has a driving accuracy of 52.3% (44th in the circuit), has reached 64.81% of the greens in regulation (39th), has a putting average of 1.6 (17th) and his average driving distance is 301.8 yards (26th).

5. The Majors while playing at LIV Golf

Since joining LIV Golf, Mickelson has played in four editions of the majors with mixed results. He finished T2 at the 2023 Masters and T58 at the 2023 PGA Championship. But then he was cut consecutively at the U.S. Open and The Open Championship that same year.

His LIV Golf Earnings

Phil Mickelson earned approximately $4.6 million for his individual and team results during 2022 and 2023 seasons. This amount is strictly related to sports results and does not take into account other sources of income that may exist.

Phil Mickelson remains an important figure both for the league in which he plays and for the world of golf. The controversy surrounding his character has always been one of his attributes, but his status as a Hall of Famer and part of the sport’s history remains unquestioned.