Phil Mickelson, Breitbard Professional Star of the Year

02-14-2005

By Tom Shanahan, San Diego Hall of Champions

It was the jump seen around the world.

Golf, as an international sport, has made San Diego’s Phil Mickelson an international figure, and his jump for joy upon winning the 2004 Masters Tournament was a picture transmitted around the world by the army of photojournalists and television cameramen assembled at august Augusta National in April 2004. He was the coverboy for the next week’s issue of “Sports Illustrated.”

Mickelson, who has won back-to-back tournaments in 2005 with victories in Phoenix at the FBR Open and at Pebble Beach in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, won his first major championship last year at age 33 with an 18-foot birdie putt on the 18th green. The left-hander is only the fourth player in Masters history to win the title on the 72nd hole, joining Arnold Palmer (1960), Sandy Lyle (1988) and Mark O’Meara (1998).

Mickelson’s leap, holding his putter with arms held high in triumph, may not have been much of a physical feat for other sports, but the joy he let loose was felt by golf fans worldwide. They are fans who had considered the Mickelson too talented and too nice of a guy to be stuck with the label of “The world’s best golfer who hasn’t won a major.”

In fact, “Lefty’s” popularity in the golf world landed him spots on the David Letterman and Jay Leno following his Masters title.

The Masters win came in Mickelson’s 43rd major as a pro, and it was claimed in dramatic style before the final hole. His rounds of 72-69-69 gave him a share of the 54-hole lead, but after risking letting the tournament slip away with a 2-over-par total on the front nine, Mickelson rallied with a 5-under-par 31 on the backside.

In Mickelson’s first major as a Masters champion, he made a run at two in a row before settling for runner-up in the U.S. Open. He finished the year ranked No. 4 in the world rankings. Mickelson’s 2004 season was a comeback from an uncharacteristic year in 2003 when he finished outside the top 30 for this first time in his carrer.

For his career, the graduate of University of San Diego High has claimed 23 PGA Tour championships. Mickelson first came to prominence in San Diego as a champion of San Diego Junior Golf tournaments and the CIF San Diego Section championships.

His victories at Torrey Pines Golf Course include the Junior World as well as the Buick Invitational three times in 1993, 2000 and 201. He was invited to compete in the Buick event as a high school senior.

Upon enrolling at Arizona State, where he earned a degree in psychology in 1992, Mickelson won NCAA Championships and the U.S. Amateur. He turned pro in 1992, a date that came after his first PGA Tour victory as an amateur in 1991 at Northern Telecom Open in Tucson. He now makes his home in Rancho Santa Fe with is wife, Amy, and three children.