At 54 years old, Phil Mickelson reinvented his approach on the course as he entered LIV Golf Hong Kong. He returned from his shoulder injury that forced him to miss the season opener in Riyadh with a standout display in Australia a few weeks back.
Phil Mickelson’s performance in Hong Kong saw him score a three-under 67, which left him tied for 14th after the first round. He boasted a ball speed of 190 mph. In an exclusive interview after his round, he highlighted his approach to the course as he strives to remain competitive.
“I think that the last couple years I’ve been kind of fighting it, meaning I’ve been playing not inside myself, trying to overpower a course where I don’t have the speed like the guys with 190. This off-season, I thought, all right, I’ve got to find another way. I’ve got to find another way to shoot scores and try to beat these guys. Today was close. I made a lot of birdies. I drove it pretty much in play, not too far off line, but yet I made four bogeys,” he said (via ASAP Sports).
“The way I’m going to have to find another way to win is less mistakes. I can’t afford to make that many bogeys. But I offset it with some birdies, and I hit a lot of good shots and a lot of good putts. I didn’t put myself so far behind after the first round. Tomorrow I’ve got to come out and eliminate those mistakes, make six, seven birdies, get back in it for Sunday. I’ve got to find another way because I’m not going to hang with the speed, so I’ve got to find another way,” Mickelson added.
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Meanwhile, two events are remaining for Mickelson, LIV Singapore and LIV Miami, before he tees up for his 32nd Masters. Apart from that, Phil Mickelson credited caddie Jon Yarbrough with his LIV Golf success in Hong Kong.
Phil Mickelson credits caddie Jon Yarbrough and AimPoint for LIV Golf Hong Kong success
Phil Mickelson’s resurgence at LIV Golf Hong Kong has been fueled by the expertise of his caddie, Jon Yarbrough. After opening with a three-under-par 67, Mickelson was four shots behind leader Paul Casey. Mickelson highlighted Yarbrough’s technique to read the greens effectively during the after-match interview.
“Jon Yarbrough has really helped me because he is very good with AimPoint and tells me it’s a one, it’s a two, and then the grain is doing this, and if it’s going with it I’ll give a little more, if it’s going against, I’ll give it a little less. He’s really helped me on these greens to get a better visual of what the ball is going to do,” Mickelson said.
Besides that, in February 2025, Mickelson participated in the LIV Golf event in Adelaide, Australia. This event featured top golfers, including Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, and Dustin Johnson.
