“I have a dream…” is what must be going on in Phil Mickelson‘s mind as he aims to fulfill one of his biggest career goals. The 45x PGA Tour winner has almost accomplished everything professional golf has to offer. With multiple majors, Signature event wins, and a lucrative LIV Golf deal, Mickelson is a legend of the game. Yet, at 54, he still has one major goal left to chase—his story isn’t finished just yet.

The major goal is to become a grand slam champion. An ultimate honor that every great golfer has achieved. The likes of Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and the biggest legends of the sport have all climbed that mountain. And for ages, Mickelson has considered himself among that elite list. But there is only one thing that has evaded him throughout his career; the U.S. Open title.

Phil Mickelson has been on the hunt for the prestigious major title throughout his career. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t tried. The LIV Golf pro has finished as a runner-up in the major event six times in a span of 15 years. Interestingly, each time he lost to a different individual. The one that would have probably hurt him the most must be against his arch rival, Tiger Woods, in 2002. But with Woods out of commission, Mickelson dared to dream again. “It’s coming,” he said as he set off on the journey once again. But analysts believe that Mickelson is a few years too late to be able to pull that off.

Critical Golf Channel journalist, Rex Hoggard joined his partner-in-crime, Ryan Lavner, for another episode of Rex & Lav on the Golf Channel’s YouTube account. While discussing LIV Golf, Hoggard noted that Sergio Garcia’s Ryder Cup comeback is a far more compelling story than Phil Mickelson’s major dream. He clarified he has no ill will toward Mickelson but added, “Phil Mickelson is at the tail end of his career.” In his view, the veteran’s prime is past, and chasing majors now is unrealistic.

Lavner chipped in with “He almost won the Masters two years ago!” He did raise a valid point considering the incredible final-round comeback of Mickelson that saw him go 7-under par 65 to finish at T2 in 2023. But Rex inquired, “Look at what he has done since then.” Not blaming anything on LIV Golf, the journalist stated, “Just look at what he has done since those two years and the answer is absolutely nothing.”

Rex then moved on to Sergio Garcia’s goal to return to the Ryder Cup for the 11th time in his career. The Spaniard is chasing the goal of overcoming Phil Mickelson’s 12 appearances in the prestigious tournament. After the 45-year-old’s recent performance, he questioned, “Would Luke Donald (Team Europe Captain) consider this (picking Sergio Garcia)?” And he himself answered with “An absolute yes! He broke down Luke Donald’s all-in mentality describing how the golfer will use every edge possible to beat Team USA. He then highlighted Keegan Bradley’s “They don’t respect us. They think we are the worst team.” comment from the Netflix series. The pride vs. paycheck contrast only strengthens Europe’s unity.

He also said, “We learned what he is in Rome (Ryder Cup 2023) as a captain. He’s a genius. He’s brilliant and he’s been hiding behind that quiet English exterior for so many years. He’s going to use and take advantage of everything he has.” Team Europe did dominate their American rivals under Luke Donald’s captaincy in the 2023 Ryder Cup. Realistically speaking though, is Sergio Garcia‘s comeback goal much more easily achievable than Phil Mickelson’s Grand Slam dream? Let’s look at the possibilities.

Phil Mickelson’s major dream vs. Sergio Garcia’s Ryder Cup reality

Phil Mickelson needs to overcome a tall order of obstacles to achieve the Grand Slam championship goal. Granted, the 2025 U.S. Open will occur a couple of months before the Ryder Cup. But that still doesn’t mean that Mickelson has a better shot at his dream than Sergio Garcia. The 45x PGAT winner needs to defeat every top golfer in the world to win the major event for the first time in his career. And if he couldn’t do it in his prime, then the chances of him doing it at the age of 54 seem far more impossible. Even when Tiger Woods is not around to steal it from him.

On the other hand, Sergio Garcia has only missed two Ryder Cups in the last 26 years. He has only missed the 2010 and 2023 editions of the tournament. Interestingly, Team Europe won the Ryder Cup on both occasions. Nevertheless, Garcia is one of the most experienced players Luke Donald has at his disposal. He has been with the team for 6 wins. In fact, he also holds the record for the most Ryder Cup points accumulated by a player. He has won 25 1/2 points in 10 appearances. Garcia also has the most foursome points won in the tournament’s history. Lastly, he only has to overcome the best European players to make the top 12 list for Team Europe.

Coming with such an amazing record in the prestigious event, Sergio Garcia is undoubtedly a favorite to be picked for the 2025 Ryder Cup by Luke Donald. Hence, Garcia’s dream is far more achievable than that of Mickelson‘s. Especially if the former continues to win more LIV Golf tournaments. Who do you think will achieve their dream this year, Phil Mickelson or Sergio Garcia? Let us know in the comments section.