Six-time major winner Phil Mickelson’s dad showed off his mobility at 89 years old as the professional golfer watched him mow the lawn in the LIV Golf offseason
Phil Mickelson is enjoying the LIV Golf offseason with family as the six-time golf major winner watched his 89-year-old father mow the lawn.
The 2024 LIV Golf season ended last month, with Jon Rahm winning the championship in his first season on the Tour. There are also no majors on the horizon, so the 54-year-old, one of LIV Golf’s biggest and early defectors from the PGA Tour, is eyeing perfection on a different green.
Phil Mickelson filmed his 89-year-old father giving the lawn a haircut. “I should probably go help him,” Mickelson said over a 12-second video on social media platform X. “Eh, looks like he’s got it under control.”
Golf fans were amazed by Mickelson’s father, who’s still active in his old age. “Damn. Look at that machine. I bet he says they don’t make them like this anymore. Freaking awesome. Love this,” one responded. “Dad’s motto for longevity: keep the ‘lawn’ running fast,” another joked.
“Would love to know what he does to take care of himself to look so good at 89 or is it just good genes?” a third asked. A fourth tweeted: “Let us old people get some exercise in it’s going to keep us young how about winning a tournament every once in awhile to keep your dad happy too.”
Mickelson’s father has been long enjoying retired life and watching his son on a golf green as one of the world’s best. He used to be an airline pilot, and he even owns a pilot’s license. Mickelson was hitting golf balls at just 18 months old, thanks to his dad.
The past season would have been a tough watch for all, though. Mickelson missed two major championship cuts at the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship. He also managed to finish just T43 at The Masters. Mickelson also finished T60 at The Open at Royal Troon and finished 46th in the individual standings in LIV Golf.
Phil Mickelson has suggested he could walk away from golf should a decline in performance continue. “I see glimpses and my teammates see glimpses of me being where I expect to be able to compete at this level, but I’m also realistic with myself, and if I’m not able to I’ll step aside and let somebody come on in and take the HyFlyers to new levels,” Mickelson said at an LIV Golf press conference last month.
“I’m in every major on the regular tour next year, and I’ll be in three of the four majors for the next six, seven years. I would love to compete and give myself a chance to win in those, and I also want to build this out and create a culture that is sustainable and that people strive to be a part of.
“How I do that, whether it’s internally as a player and so forth, or whether it’s strictly from the outside, I’m going to be intricately involved with the HyFlyers going forward probably the rest of my life, and then my playing career I’ll be realistic where I’m at, too.”