Phil Mickelson's U.S. Open Career: He's No. 2

Look at Phil Mickelson's U.S. Open record one way, and it's very good: He's had more high finishes than most golfers can dream about. But look at it another way—the way most golf fans, media and Mickelson himself look at it—and his performance in this golf major is a source of major frustration.

Mickelson, one of the greatest golfers of his or any other era, has finished runner-up at the U.S. Open more than anyone else in tournament history—but never won.

Key Takeaways

Phil Mickelson has won five major championships overall and more than 40 PGA Tour tournaments, but never the U.S. Open.
He has finished in second place in the U.S. Open six times, the tournament's all-time record.
After one particularly painful runner-up in the U.S. Open, Mickelson said of a poor choice he made on the final hole: "I am such an idiot."

The Rundown of Mickelson's Runner-Up Finishes in the U.S. Open

1999: Mickelson's first brush with U.S. Open victory happened in a tournament today best-remembered for two things. First, Payne Stewart thrusting his fist in the air, kicking out one leg behind him, in celebration of the 18-foot par putt he made on the final hole to beat Mickelson by one stroke. (A statue of Stewart, who died in plane crash later in the year, in that pose stands today at Pinehurst Resort, where it happened.)

Second, Phil Mickelson wearing a pager throughout the week. Phil's wife Amy was due to deliver their first child, and had that pager gone off Phil was prepared to bolt from the tournament.

This was Mickelson's first runner-up finish in any of the four majors. His previous best finishes were third-place showings at the 1994 PGA Championship and 1996 Masters. Mickelson was 29 years old. He had 13 wins on the PGA Tour.

2002: Mickelson finished three strokes behind the wire-to-wire winner, Tiger Woods. Although the Bethpage Black crowds tried to egg Phil on in the final round, he never got closer than two strokes to Tiger's lead. Mickelson turned 32 the day of the final round, and had 20 PGA Tour wins.

2004: At age 34 and with 23 PGA Tour wins, Mickelson finished two strokes behind winner Retief Goosen. Mickelson had the lead after birdies on the 15th and 16th holes in the final round, but then three-putted from three feet and double-bogeyed the 17th hole. But in some good news for Phil, two months earlier he won his first major championship, the 2004 Masters.

2006: Mickelson finished tied with Jim Furyk and Colin Montgomerie one stroke behind the winner Geoff Ogilvy. This is the tournament whose finish led Phil to memorably state immediately after his final hole, "I am such an idiot."

Mickelson would have won with a par on the last hole, or gotten into a playoff with a bogey. Instead, he double-bogeyed. Mickelson inexplicably used driver off the No. 18 tee, a club he had struggled with all day. Once again, it was wayward. Mickelson's badly sliced drive nearly hit a hospitality tent through the woods. Then his second shot hit a tree. His third shot went into a bunker and his fourth shot went over the green.

With his fourth runner-up finish in a U.S. Open, Mickelson tied Bobby Jones, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus—all giants in the sport's history—for most seconds in this tournament. He was 36 years old and had 29 PGA Tour wins, including two more majors: the 2005 PGA Championship and 2006 Masters.

2009: Mickelson had the record all to himself with his fifth U.S. Open runner-up. He tied with Ricky Barnes and David Duval two strokes behind winner Lucas Glover. He was 39 years old and had 36 PGA Tour wins.

2013: U.S. Open runner-up finish No. 6. Mickelson tied with Jason Day two strokes behind the winner, Justin Rose. He was 43 years old and had 41 PGA Tour wins. That included his fourth win in a major at the 2010 Masters. One month after this second-place finish, Mickelson won his fifth and most-recent major championship, the 2013 British Open.

Phil Mickelson's Year-by-Year Scores in the U.S. Open

Mickelson played the U.S. Open twice before turning professional, and both times he earned low amateur honors:

1990: 74-71-71-72—288 (even), 29th place (low amateur)
1991: 73-72-80-75—300 (+12), 55th (low amateur)

Mickelson turned pro in 1992 and the U.S. Open that year was the site of his first round as a pro golfer. These are his U.S. Open finishes as a pro:

1992: 68-81—149 (+5), missed the cut
1993: did not play
1994: 75-70-73-79—297 (+13), tied 47th
1995: 68-70-72-74—284 (+4), tied 4th
1996: 76-71-73-76—296 (+16), tied 94th
1997: 75-68-73-74—290 (+10), tied 43rd
1998: 71-73-74-70—288 (+8), tied 10th
1999: 67-70-73-70—280 (even), 2nd
2000: 71-73-73-76—293 (+9), tied 16th
2001: 70-69-68-75—282 (+2), tied 7th
2002: 70-73-67-70—280 (even), 2nd
2003: 70-70-75-74—289 (+9), tied 55th
2004: 68-66-73-71—278 (-2), 2nd
2005: 69-77-72-74—292 (+12), tied 33rd
2006: 70-73-69-74—286 (+6), tied 2nd
2007: 74-77—151 (+11), missed the cut
2008: 71-75-76-68—290 (+6), tied 18th
2009: 69-70-69-70—278 (-2), tied 2nd
2010: 75-66-73-73—287 (+3), tied 4th
2011: 74-69-77-71—291 (+7), tied 54th
2012: 76-71-71-78—296 (+16), tied 65th
2013: 67-72-70-74—283 (+3), tied 2nd
2014: 70-73-72-72—287 (+7), tied 28th
2015: 69-74-77-73—293 (+13), tied 64th
2016: 74-73—147 (+7), missed the cut
2017: did not play
2018: 77-69-81-69—296 (+16), tied 48th

Phil Mickelson's U.S. Open Record Is Second-Best

He Holds the Record for Most Runners-Up in the Golf Major

Key Takeaways

The Rundown of Mickelson's Runner-Up Finishes in the U.S. Open

Phil Mickelson's Year-by-Year Scores in the U.S. Open