Phil Mickelson Makes History at Open Championship

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dibyendu Mondal | Last updated Jul 18, 2025 3:18 PM ET

Phil Mickelson opened the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush with a one‑under 70, navigating intermittent rain and firm winds in round one. He followed it with a one-over 72 on Friday. With that, he will be heading to the weekend, earning a record to his name.

By achieving the feat, Mickelson recorded his 103rd cut in men’s major championships, moving past Gary Player’s longstanding mark of 102. Since his major debut at the 1990 U.S. Open, he has appeared in 127 majors and now sits second on the all‑time cuts‑made leaderboard.

Only Jack Nicklaus, with 131 cuts made in his 164 major starts, remains ahead of Mickelson. Nicklaus set that benchmark over a span stretching from the 1957 U.S. Open through the 1986 PGA Championship, and it has stood as a measure of career consistency for nearly four decades.

This milestone also underscores Mickelson’s exceptional consistency. He has converted the cut in 103 of his 127 major starts (an 81 percent success rate) and boasts a personal best streak of 30 consecutive cuts in majors between the 1999 PGA Championship and the 2007 Masters.

At Royal Portrush, he also notched his 21st made cut in 30 Open Championship appearances. Back in June, Mickelson also expressed his desire to continue playing the majors if he qualifies. So, we are sure to see more of this legend in the coming days.

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

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