Life And Career Of Phil Mickelson

Day in the Life of Arnold Palmer: Q&A with The King

How much time do you spend thinking about playing?

Oh my staff here they keep me thinking about what's going on in here so I don't have that much to do about playing. If I get antsy I just get up and go out to the practice tee and hit a few balls.

Throughout the history of the game there's always been that passing of the torch -- you to Jack, Jack to Tom Watson , seemingly Tiger to this next generation. What do you think of the next generation of players?

The pattern has been set with the guys we've had over the years and you can go back as far as [Byron] Nelson and [Sam] Snead. That's a very important transition and I think it's going to keep going. Tiger is certainly a part of that. Jack Nicklaus , Tom Watson. There are a group of young payers who will be formidable. We don't yet know the single one who will step out in front but there are many opportunities for that individual to get recognition and call attention to the game of golf. From the international aspects of it, these players are coming from all over the world. It's a very exciting time in golf with Tiger still in there and people coming along who will be challenging his records.

You've known Tiger for a long time. What's your perspective on his place in the game right now?

I think his record speaks for itself and he certainly is approaching some of the things Nicklaus did in his era. Tiger will be recognized as one of the great players in the game.

Do you think he'll break Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 career major championships?

Is it possible? Absolutely. Will he? It's questionable.

Speaking of Jack, what's he meant to you all these years?

Jack's a very close, personal friend of mine. We've competed against each other for quite a few years and I've enjoyed the competition playing with him and against him and I've enjoyed our friendship. It's something that's very important to me.

A lot of people consider Phil Mickelson a modern-day Arnold Palmer. Do you see a lot of yourself in him?

I think he's been good for golf. He has done some wonderful things playing and is a likable guy and the fans enjoy him and he's very accommodating to the fans. He's a good player and he'll win championships and he gives himself to the crowd. I suppose you could say there were some similarities between his style and mine ... but you have to keep in mind that he's left-handed and I'm right handed (winking).

mesothelioma image: phil mickelson pictures biography

Philip Alfred Mickelson (born June 16, 1970) is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 38 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed. According to estimates by Fortune Magazine, Mickelson's income for 2007 was over $51 million, with $47 million coming from endorsements. Mickelson was born in San Diego, California, to parents Phil Mickelson Sr. and Mary Mickelson. He was raised there and in Scottsdale, Arizona. Although right-handed otherwise, he swings with his left hand, as he learned by watching his right-handed father swing and mirroring it.[1] Mickelson began golf under his father's instruction before starting school. He graduated from the University of San Diego High School in 1988. Mickelson then attended Arizona State University on a golf scholarship; he graduated in 1992. During his time at Arizona State, he became the face of amateur golf in the United States, capturing three NCAA individual championships and three Haskins Awards (1990, 1991, 1992) as the outstanding collegiate golfer. He was the second collegiate golfer to earn first-team All-American honors all four years. In addition, in 1990, he became the first left-hander to win the U.S. Amateur title. Perhaps his greatest achievement, though, came in 1991 when he won his first PGA Tour event, the Northern Telecom Open. He did so as an amateur, becoming only the sixth player in PGA history to accomplish this feat, and the first since Scott Verplank, who won the 1985 Western Open. Mickelson turned pro in 1992 following his graduation. He was able to bypass the Tour's qualifying process (Q-School) because of his 1991 Tucson win, which earned him a two-year exemption. He continued to win many PGA Tour tournaments, including the Byron Nelson Golf Classic and the World Series of Golf in 1996, the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in 1998, the Colonial National Invitation in 2000 and the Greater Hartford Open in 2001 and again in 2002. He also won the Buick Invitational in 2000, defeating Tiger Woods and ending his streak of consecutive tournament victories at six. After his win, Mickelson said, "I didn't want to be the bad guy. I wasn't trying to end the streak per se. I was just trying to win the golf tournament.

Endurance, winning life's majors the Phil Mickelson way

One magical Sunday, but winning isn't everything

I call the shots, straight talk about the game of golf today

American book publishing record

Life Is Yours to Win, Lessons Forged from the Purpose, Passion, and Magic of Baseball