There’s something hauntingly relatable about getting oh-so-close to your goal… and watching it slip away again. And again. And again. For most of us, it’s that personal best round that keeps getting away on the 17th tee. For Phil Mickelson, it was the U.S. Open. Six times.
That’s not a typo.
Six runner-up finishes. Six chances to complete the career Grand Slam. Six heartbreaks, each with its own flavor of chaos — from emotional storylines to flat-out meltdowns.
This isn’t just a list of losses. It’s a masterclass in pain, pressure, and persistence. And if you’ve ever walked off a green wondering how everything unraveled, well… Phil gets it.
1999 – Pinehurst: The Father’s Day Collapse
This one was supposed to be poetic.
Phil walked onto the course with a beeper in his pocket — ready to sprint off the 18th green if his wife Amy went into labor with their first child. He had the lead late in the round. He played beautifully all day.
And then… Payne Stewart happened.
A 35-foot par save from Stewart on 16. A birdie on 17. An 18-foot dagger on 18. Mickelson missed his short one when it mattered most.
The image of Payne hugging Phil and telling him, “There’s nothing like being a father,” is etched into golf history.
Heartwarming. And absolutely brutal.
2002 – Bethpage Black: The Tiger That Wouldn’t Budge
You can’t outplay Tiger Woods at peak Tiger.
But Phil gave it a go — and for a few holes, it looked like it might actually work.
He turned 32 that Sunday, the New York crowd sang him “Happy Birthday,” and for a stretch, he closed the gap. When he eagled 13, he was two back. The dream flickered.
Tiger, unfazed, promptly birdied the same hole.
The final margin was three strokes. But anyone watching knew it was closer than that. Phil didn’t collapse — he just ran into a buzzsaw wearing red.
2004 – Shinnecock Hills: The Stone and the Slide
Phil was flying high. He’d finally shaken the “best never to win a major” label with his Masters victory earlier that year. And now, he was right there again — leading late on Sunday.
But U.S. Open setups have a mean streak, and Shinnecock in 2004 was unhinged.
Phil played near-flawless golf until the 17th, where a bunker shot was doomed by a rock lodged behind his ball. He made double. Retief Goosen birdied 16. Three shots swung in minutes.
From leader to heartbroken. Again.
And no, he never blamed the stone. Because of course he didn’t.
2006 – Winged Foot: The Meltdown Heard ’Round the World
This is the one.
Phil stood on the 18th tee needing just a par to win. Even a bogey would’ve gotten him into a playoff. And then… he went full send.
Driver off the tee. Deep rough. Risky recovery attempt. Tree. Double bogey.
The quote afterward is legendary:
“I am such an idiot.” — Phil Mickelson
He hit just two fairways that day. Scrambled like a magician all round. And then unraveled in one of the most memorable implosions in major championship history.
It wasn’t bad luck. It wasn’t Payne Stewart magic. This one was all Phil.
2009 – Bethpage Black (Again): The Missed Moment
If golf had scripts, this was going to be the emotional redemption arc.
Phil’s wife Amy had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. He was playing through a fog of emotion, and the New York crowds — notoriously loud and unfiltered — were squarely in his corner.
He eagled 13 to tie for the lead. The roars were deafening. You could feel it.
But then came the short miss on 14. A three-putt on 15. More missed chances on 16 and 17.
Lucas Glover slipped past quietly. The fairytale ending never came.
It was gutting to watch. And it wasn’t even his worst U.S. Open moment.
2013 – Merion: Birthday, Graduation, and One More Gut Punch
Father’s Day. His 43rd birthday. He flew home midweek to see his daughter’s graduation, then back to Merion just in time to tee off.
This was going to be it. Surely.
Phil held the lead after three rounds. Even after early double bogeys, he clawed back with an eagle on 10. The crowd believed. He believed.
But Merion didn’t care.
Bogeys on 13, 15, and 18 let Justin Rose slip past. Another one gone.
Phil finished second at the U.S. Open… for the sixth time. A record nobody wants. Even Sam Snead only had four.
More Than Just Losses
These weren’t just near-misses. They were chapters in the most agonizing saga in major championship history. Each one with its own “if only” moment.
If only he hit the fairway.
If only that putt dropped.
If only the stone wasn’t there.
But here’s the thing: Phil kept coming back. Every time. Every year. Still chasing. Still believing.
There’s a reason fans never gave up on him. Because he never gave up on himself.
And even without the U.S. Open trophy, those six second-place finishes? They tell a better story than most wins ever could.
“I am such an idiot.” — Phil Mickelson, after the 2006 U.S. Open collapse at Winged Foot
