Despite the weather worsening, Phil Mickelson’s outing to Northern Ireland has become an Irish Wish turned real. Last year at Royal Troon, Mickelson finished tied for 60th, his first made cut at this event since 2016. This year, though, things haven’t looked up for the LIV golfer after missing cuts at all the other three majors. However, at The Open Championship, things took a turn for the better after his best opening round at an Open Championship since 2016. Still, it wasn’t all smooth.

Although his group avoided rain for most of their time in the opening round, he had to navigate the intermittent rains and firm winds to end one‑under 70. The 6x major winner was on top of the leaderboard after playing his first nine holes in 2 under. But then he stumbled into two bogeys on the back nine. Fortunately, his 20-footer birdie on No. 17 helped him enter second round looking solid to make the cut. Cementing it, he followed the run with one-over 72 on Friday to finally break the slump.

Making it above the projected cut line (+1), Mickelson currently stands 8 shots off the leader and 16 places down from start of the play. Additionally, he also landed two records at the Royal Portrush. First, a personal best of 21 made cuts in 30 appearances at The Open. As for the second, he has finally crossed Gary Player’s long-standing record of 102 after his 103rd cut in men’s major championships in 127 starts since his debut at the 1990 U.S. Open. He’s now sitting pretty solid in second place on the all-time cuts-made leaderboard to join none other than Jack Nicklaus.

Underdog Golf announced the feat on their X account, writing, “Most cuts made in majors all time:
Jack Nicklaus 131
Phil Mickelson 103
Gary Player 102″

Aside from that, Mickelson also holds a personal best record of 30 consecutive made cuts in majors between the 1999 PGA Championship and the 2007 Masters. However, when it comes to most major cuts, the only golfer ahead of Phil Mickelson is the legendary Jack Nicklaus, who made an impressive 131 cuts in 164 major starts. Nicklaus achieved this remarkable feat over nearly three decades, from the 1957 U.S. Open to the 1986 PGA Championship.

So, in Nicklaus’s absence, Mickelson has the chance to do the unfathomable: make more cuts in majors than the Golden Bear. But, hey, until we wait for that to happen, you’d be surprised to know this isn’t the only record he made at The Open.

Phil Mickelson just secured his personal best in The Open Championship run

Phil Mickelson had a remarkable start to The Open Championship at Royal Portrush, carding a 1-under 70, his best opening round since 2016. He attributed his success to a combination of skill, luck, and experience, saying, “We had a pretty good break before the rain came in. It came in just the last couple holes.”

Mickelson’s impressive start included a notable par on the par-3 third hole, where his tee shot landed in a greenside bunker. After failing to escape on his first attempt, his third shot miraculously spun into the hole for par. “That was a crazy one. To make it, it was obviously a lot of luck. It was crazy. I was just trying to save bogey, and I got lucky and it went in.” He also made a 20-footer on No. 17 for another birdie to prove how his experience and adaptability have allowed him to excel in various conditions.

He reflected on his The Open Championship win in 2013 at Muirfield, saying, “I think winning The Open in 2013 was the greatest accomplishment in my career because I had to learn a style of golf that I didn’t grow up playing.” In 2013, Mickelson achieved a major success at Muirfield in Scotland with The Open win.

Despite his one-under 70, Mickelson’s first-round performance was impressive, with over 50% of his greens hit and a strong short game that earned him over three strokes more than the field average. After finishing tied for 60th at Royal Troon last year – his first made cut at The Open since 2016 – Mickelson said following his first round, “I just think it’s a sign of a complete player, to be able to win in all the conditions of the majors that they provide.”

Indeed, that is the case. However, it will still be interesting to see what his future major appearances have in store for him.