Fans Apologetic for ‘Crucifying’ Phil Mickelson as His True Colors Get Revealed by PGA Tour Star

There have been many instances when we all have heard of Phil Mickelson highly. Bryson DeChambeau, last year, said, “Just how much he cares about the game, how much he cares about getting people into the game. He’s an entertainer and cares so much. I wish people could see that.” Then it was Brendan Steele who spoke very fondly of Lefty after securing a win in Adelaide.

“Phil is a hero of mine and a mentor. He’s helped me on and off the course for the last 15 years now and he’s always been super generous with his time and knowledge which has always been amazing for me through the ups and downs that I’ve had over my career,” said Steele. We all can agree that learning from the veteran who has already mastered the game is a dream. The 22-year-old PGA Tour pro Akshay Bhatia also had the chance to work with 3x Masters winner at Augusta, and was left awestruck!

In his recent appearance on The Loop podcast, Bhatia shared something that totally blew his mind: Phil Mickelson has a massive, handwritten notebook full of notes about Augusta National. It’s not just a few pages of scribbles—it’s thick. Like, novel-thick. Inside, it’s packed with insights on every little detail of Augusta’s quirks.

“All his notes that he’s written down over the years about Augusta and like what certain putts do or what certain chips do or certain conditions—everything about it,” Bhatia said. “I mean, it was mind-blowing and something that takes a lot of dedication, a lot of work, obviously a lot of experience too.” This is what you call pure dedication, and it was on full display when Bhatia got to practice on Augusta’s greens with Mickelson. The two were working on certain spots when Mickelson pulled out his trusty notepad.

“He pulls his notepad out and goes, ‘Alright, so this putt, like most guys, leave it about 7-8 feet short,’” Bhatia remembers. “So I hit my first putt, and sure enough, it’s 7-8 feet short. And so he turned back around and he said, ‘Yeah, so this putt is gonna break like about a foot left to right. . . you just gotta make sure you get it, you gotta hit it a little harder than you think.'”

Then, Mickelson steps up, drains the putt, and just nails it. Like it was nothing. Wow. “It was just the coolest thing, like seeing that and like being a part of that and laughing with him. Like he’s one of a kind,” Bhatia said. And honestly, after hearing this story, even the golf community agrees with him.

Mickelson has never really turned away from helping young, and aspiring golfers. There was a time in 2023 when he helped Mark Baldwin with the second stage of Q-School. Lefty played two rounds on the golf course with him and also helped him sharpen up his short game; he even invited Baldwin to his home to work on his game. Baldwin explained it as “the coolest experience of my golf life.”

Ryan French, who initially wrote to Mickelson seeking help for Baldwin later posted on X, calling out people who thought Lefty did it for PR; “For the “he did it for PR” (which I know is a small minority) crowd,” French added. “I just talked with @markbaldwin1 and Phil worked with him from 8 am until dark. Hundreds of balls, 18 holes, and more practice after. Not a single camera around. Just a legend helping out a guy trying to make it.”

Mickelson’s combination of expertise and personality makes moments like these unforgettable, not just for the lucky few who get to witness it in person but also for fans who get to listen to such stories of the legend. And speaking of fans, they couldn’t get enough of Bhatia’s story when Golf Digest shared the clip on social media.

Fans appreciate Phil Mickelson for his die-hard dedication

“Such a shame he was crucified by everyone. And now they realize he was right the whole time.” It’s no secret that Mickelson has been a polarizing figure, especially after his high-profile move to LIV Golf. At the time, he faced intense backlash and was labeled a traitor for stepping away from the traditional circuit. But now, stories like Bhatia’s remind people just how much passion and brilliance Mickelson brings to the sport. It seems like fans are starting to see him in a new light.

Pro Golf Critic, one of Mickelson’s biggest fans, was quick to chime in, saying, “Phil is one of the best mentors in golf and any younger player should jump at the opportunity to learn under his tutelage.” This was just the reiteration of Steele’s point! Then, there were the classic fan comments—straight to the point and totally on the money. “LEGEND. @PhilMickelson is the man,” one user wrote. Steele mentioned that before his Adelaide win, Lefty and he stayed together to practice, and it was the veteran who told him to be confident. A true mentor indeed!

Another fan took it a step further, writing, “The rain man of golf – Mr Phil Mickleson,” which is honestly a pretty great nickname. If you’ve seen the 1988 film Rain Man, you’ll know it’s a reference to Raymond (played by Dustin Hoffman), a guy with an insane memory who can recall facts with ridiculous precision. Honestly, that’s a pretty spot-on comparison when you think about Mickelson’s knack for remembering every little detail about Augusta.

And there were the fans who couldn’t help but appreciate just how sharp Mickelson is. “Phil is probably the most analytical player, and you don’t even notice it. All the details he takes into consideration is just impressive 🔥,” one fan wrote. And, of course, there were the short, sweet comments that just say it all: “Man, I love Phil.”

It’s clear that Mickelson has made a lasting impact on his fans, and after hearing Bhatia’s story, it’s easy to see why.