Before Bryson, Brooks, Max, Tom, Joel, Tyrrell and Rory, there was Phil. It might be hard to remember now, with Mickelson’s trailblazing LIV switch and gambling allegations tainting his legacy, but Phil was once golf’s karate-kicking, leather jacket-wearing content king.
Whether cosying up beside the “Phireside” or putting the entire Golden State Warriors dynasty at risk, the six-time major winner was golf’s first true “viral” star.
The dress shirt brand @MizzenAndMain is buying its first ever TV commercial today (on the Golf Channel) and its spot with spokesman Phil Mickelson will at least get people talking pic.twitter.com/4J2PDI6sVA
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) August 2, 2018
He’s since been eclipsed by some of the names above, but perched next to one of his protégés at LIV Singapore this week, Mickelson was asked if he felt he was the “OG of golf viral videos”. Without hesitation, Mickelson responded as only he could:
— LIV'r & Onions! (@LIVRandONIONS) May 2, 2024
Classic Phil. Going viral for simply talking about going viral. You can’t teach that kind of instinct. Sure, DeChambeau has plenty of trending content on his CV – walking into gallery ropes, wowing Vijay Singh with his range antics, insulting Brooks Koepka’s abs on a Twitch stream.
He may turn out to be the Aaron Rodgers to Phil’s Brett Favre, but he still has a lot to learn from the master.
