Phil Mickelson Addresses Incredible Birdie Shot at LIV Golf Virginia

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rodney Knuppel | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 11:40 AM ET

It was a wet, miserable Sunday at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, the site of the weekend’s LIV Golf event. Despite the weather, players delivered plenty of excitement for fans braving the rain.

The star of the day was Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, who fired a final-round 63 to finish at 15-under and win the tournament. Niemann edged out Graeme McDowell and Anirban Lahiri by just one stroke, claiming the title from last year’s champion, Harold Varner III.

While Niemann took home the trophy, it was Phil Mickelson who created the most buzz with a jaw-dropping shot on the 17th hole.

Mickelson finished in a tie for fourth alongside Thomas Pieters, Bryson DeChambeau and Bubba Watson, thanks in large part to that remarkable shot.

After the round, Mickelson addressed the moment.

“That was one of my better ones. I don't know what to say because I have to aim so far left, hooking it over my shoulder, and trying to guess how much it's going to hook is the challenge.”

This angle of the @PhilMickelson hole out today is even more insane

“So that was one of my better ones… I don't know what to say because I have to aim so far left because I'm hooking it over my shoulder and trying to guess how much it's going to hook is the challenge….… pic.twitter.com/5sfjfUN3KR
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) June 9, 2025

“It wasn't hard stopping it. It was hard guessing how much it was going to hook. With soft greens and an uphill lie, the ball was going to go high, but just judging how much it would come over my shoulder — that was the challenge. Even I was a little bit surprised.” He continued.

The crowd erupted, reacting with loud cheers as Mickelson walked off the green.

A former standout at Arizona State University, Mickelson has had a legendary career. He owns 45 PGA Tour wins, tied for eighth all-time and spent over 700 weeks ranked inside the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings.

He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2012 and has won six major championships: three Masters, two PGA Championships and one Open Championship.

This coming weekend at Oakmont, he’ll chase the one major missing from his collection, the U.S. Open. He has finished runner-up six times in the event, most recently in 2013. Completing the Career Grand Slam would cement his place among golf’s all-time greats.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: