Phil Mickelson Makes History As Oldest Major Winner In Epic Display

A thrilling 2021 PGA Championship met an extraordinary conclusion Sunday afternoon as Phil Mickelson became the oldest major championship winner in golf history with his 6-under 282 giving him a two-stroke victory over Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen (-4) for the Wanamaker Trophy. Mickelson, 50, is now just the 14th man to win six or more majors in his career.

A 200-1 longshot entering the 103rd PGA Championship on the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, Mickelson won his sixth major an astounding 2,863 days after his last. It is just the third tournament he has won over the last eight years since taking the 2013 Open Championship and the first time he finished better than T71 at the PGA Championship since 2016.

At 50 years, 11 months and six days old, Mickelson broke the previous record long held by Julius Boros, who won the PGA Championship at 48 years, 4 months and 18 days old in 1968. Lefty is three weeks shy of his 51st birthday and will be another year older when he makes a run at the U.S. Open, the lone major he has yet to win and one that has kept him from capturing the career grand slam.

The co-leader through 36 holes and solo leader through 54 holes, Mickelson had a dramatic start to his final round with three birdies and three bogeys over the front nine. He lost, tied and regained the lead before opening a five-stroke advantage at 8 under through the 12th.

The most memorable moment of Mickelson's unforgettable weekend came Sunday on the par-3 5th when he holed out from a sandy area to an incredible ovation. Lefty had been 1 over on the day before that incredible shot dropped.

By the time Mickelson called the tournament down the stretch Sunday, he had achieved 22 birdies -- a personal record at a PGA Championship -- and his first overall victory since he took the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February 2019.