Has Phil Mickelson Ever Been Ranked World #1 in Golf?

2021 PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson is not a stranger to the golf world. Known for his friendly and funny interactions with the audience, he is, in fact, considered one of the best golfers of all time. However, did you know he has never been World No. 1? 

From 1993 to 2019, the golfer spent an impressive 25 consecutive years in the top 50. Mickelson has won over 50 championships worldwide, including 6 majors.

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He claimed his last major win at the 2021 PGA Championship and became the only golfer to win a major after turning 50. Despite all these achievements, ‘Lefty‘ has never risen to the top of the rankings.

Why couldn’t Phil Mickelson ever be the World’s No. 1? 

Tiger Woods. The main reason Mickelson failed to achieve the first position on the OWGR is Tiger Woods. Since 1997, the first year he had become the no. 1, Woods has spent 683 weeks in that position. 

The 15-time Major winner’s time spent at the top of the OWGR is a Guinness Record. Moreover, he had spent 264 weeks and then 281 weeks in a row as the world’s best.

AL MUROOJ, SAUDI ARABIA – FEBRUARY 04: Phil Mickelson of the United States reacts on the 9th hole during day two of the PIF Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club on February 4, 2022 in Al Murooj, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Luke Walker/WME IMG/WME IMG via Getty Images)

Mickelson had turned pro four years prior to Woods, and he could have risen to the top in that period. However, players like Sir Nick Faldo used to rule over the golf world then. Although all of them have become what Mickelson couldn’t, they haven’t been able to achieve what ‘Lefty’ has earned. 

Lefty’s record of being in the top 50 for 25 consecutive years is a unique achievement. And it seems that nobody will break that record in the near future. However, since he is still not retired from golf, Mickelson, who sits at 48 in the OWGR standings, still has the chance to become the World No.1. 

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Becoming the world’s top golfer would be the dream of any professional golfer. While Mickelson has never been one, 25 consecutive years in the top 50 is proof that he is one of the most consistent players the golf world has ever seen.

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