From LIV Golf’s insult to insultingly generous, Phil Mickelson’s latest move will leave you speechless! The Open Championship has concluded at the Royal Troon, crowning Xander Schauffle with his second major win. In a heartwarming display of sportsmanship and gratitude, Lefty has put aside past differences to repay a debt of inspiration to Xander Schauffele. 

Just hours after Schauffele’s thrilling victory, Mickelson returned the favor on his X handle. The 6x major champ wrote, “What an incredible performance by @XSchauffele A final round 65 with -4 on the difficult back 9 to win The Open and become CGOTY is simply amazing. Congratulations, what a year, keep it up in Paris too!“. Moreover, Mickelson’s praise for Schauffele’s impressive win at The Open highlights the latter’s remarkable skill and mental toughness at a challenging link course.

This kind gesture came after the 30-year-old revealed in his post-win press conference that watching Mickelson’s epic battle with Henrik Stenson at Royal Troon had helped prepare him for his own triumph. The now 2x major champ said, “ I was only able to watch 2016 — actually watched the highlight of Phil and Henrik to motivate myself for this week. I guess that paid off pretty nice.”  Lefty had played some of the best golf of his career, and shot a final-round 65, but had to hand over the Claret Jug to Henrik Stenson.

Previously, Xander Schauffele’s father had stated that his son would never join LIV Golf, even for hundreds of millions of dollars. Stefan Schauffele said. “Even if you throw hundreds of millions of dollars at him. That word still stands.” This statement was made despite LIV Golf’s lucrative offers. Mickelson, a LIV golfer, has seemingly put aside this beef to show his appreciation for Schauffele’s incredible win, kind words, and inspiration. 

As Mickelson celebrated Schauffele’s victory, it’s hard not to recall his own iconic performance at Royal Troon in 2016. That performance inspired the newly crowned champion and also cemented his legacy in golf.

Phil Mickelson’s lasting impact at the 2016 Open Championship

“Only time I can remember in my career where I played my absolute best golf and it wasn’t enough to win,” Mickelson said in a presser at LIV Andalucia. And he meant it, recalling the duo’s final-day showdown, dubbed “High Noon at Troon,” which echoed the legendary “Duel in the Sun” between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson in 1977. 

The electric atmosphere at Royal Troon was palpable as the two golfing giants went head-to-head. However, Mickelson’s impressive score of 17 under par, without a bogey, was eclipsed by Stenson’s record-breaking 20 under par, courtesy of a stunning final-round 63. 

Fast-forward to Mickelson’s recent performance at the Open, where the 45-year-old had to settle for a respectable six-way tie for the 60th spot. He carded rounds of 73-74-72-76, totaling 11 over par 284.

As the younger generation of golfers continues to rise, it’s clear that they’re drawing motivation from the legends who paved the way. Xander Schauffele and Phil Mickelson’s gesture reminds us that, even during intense competition, golfers can come together to celebrate each other’s successes and push the sport forward.