54-Year-Old Admits Next Week’s U.S. Open Could Be His Final Shot at History

Phil Mickelson just delivered a reality check that hit golf fans right in the gut. The six-time major champion has admitted that next week’s U.S. Open at Oakmont could represent his final realistic chance to complete the career Grand Slam and join golf’s most exclusive club.

At 54 years old and ranked a staggering 1,162nd in the world, Mickelson knows Father Time is catching up to his Grand Slam dreams. The left-hander has been tantalizingly close to completing the set throughout his career, finishing runner-up at the U.S. Open six different times, but the national championship has remained his white whale.

“There’s a high likelihood this will be my final opportunity,” Mickelson confessed, though he quickly added, “But I haven’t really thought about it too much.”

One Last Dance at Oakmont

Mickelson’s admission carries extra weight considering his current situation. His 2021 PGA Championship victory – where he became the oldest major winner in history at 50 – earned him a five-year exemption to the U.S. Open. But starting in 2026, he would have to navigate the brutal qualifying process that just claimed casualties like Max Homa and Rickie Fowler.

When asked if he’d be willing to endure the “longest day in golf” – the grueling 36-hole qualifying grind that over 10,000 players, including Charlie Woods, attempted this year – Mickelson’s response was telling: “I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far.”

The Exclusive Club

Only six players in golf history have achieved the career Grand Slam: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and most recently, Rory McIlroy, who completed the set with his Masters victory this year. Mickelson’s trophy case includes three Masters titles, two PGA Championships, and one Open Championship, but that elusive U.S. Open has prevented him from joining golf’s immortals.

The cruel irony isn’t lost on anyone familiar with Mickelson’s career. His six runner-up finishes at the U.S. Open represent some of golf’s most heartbreaking near-misses, with the most recent coming in 2013.

Alternative Routes

There is one potential lifeline for Mickelson beyond qualifying. The USGA announced earlier this year that the leading player in LIV Golf’s individual standings at the end of 2025, along with the leader on May 18, 2026, will automatically qualify for future U.S. Opens. But banking on that route would require Mickelson to dramatically improve his play on the LIV circuit.

As Mickelson prepares for what could be his final realistic shot at history, the golf world will be watching to see if the man who’s come so close so many times can finally break through at the place where dreams have gone to die – Oakmont Country Club.

The stakes have never been higher, and time has never been shorter.