Over his long career in the world of golf, Phil Mickelson has gotten plenty of nicknames from both his lovers and haters. Phil Mickelson’s charisma on and off the course has the entirety of the golf world enchanted. So much so that he received the nickname FIGJAM in his early days.
This nickname was not a gift from Mickelson’s lovers. On the contrary, it was his fellow senior PGA Tour pros at the time who bestowed upon him the nickname. A golf world pro’s account of Phil proved once again how it was indeed a fitting nickname.
Phil Mickelson lives up to his nickname, ‘FIGJAM’
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Lefty has surely established a long legacy in the world of professional golf. His talent has been witnessed on multiple occasions in the game. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that his switch to LIV Golf gained so much attention. Throughout his years of play, his nickname ‘FIGJAM’ has not gained as much popularity. It is the last couple decades that the nickname has seen the light of day. FIGJAM is an acronym for “F**k, I’m good, just ask me.”
Mickelson has lived up to FIGJAM in recent years. This was determined through Alan Shipnuck’s unauthorized biography of Phil Micklelson. In the controversial book, David Eger, an American professional golfer on the Champions Tour, sealed the deal. He talked about this one time when he introduced his wife to Mickelson. Mickelson’s reply is what proves he lived up to the nickname ‘FIGJAM.’
David Eger said, “At the 1990 U.S. Amateur, we faced each other in the semifinals, and he beat me pretty good. We were always friendly, but over time we just kind of lost touch. Fast-forward to 2017…I grabbed my wife and we jumped in a cart so we could go say hello…I introduced him to Trish, and literally the first thing Phil said was ‘Did David tell you what an ass-whooping I put on him at the Amateur in 1990?’ It had been twenty-seven years.”
Mickelson’s account of how he beat Eger twenty-seven years ago was like a nail to the coffin of his slightly offensive nickname. The famous FIGJAM was validated as the legendary golfer reminded Eger’s wife, Trisha, how he beat her husband at the 1990 Amateur. Truly, it must have been a sight to see. But how exactly did Mickelson get this nickname?
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Why is Phil Mickelson called FIGJAM?
FIGJAM was a gift from Mickelson’s PGA Tour pro seniors. It was because of Mickelson’s goofy personality that his seniors mistook him as insincere. This led to the origin story of FIGJAM, which, as mentioned before, translates to “F**k, I’m good, just ask me.”
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However, this nickname did not gain popularity, as Mickelson remained a fan favorite. Surely, Mickelson has dealt with his share of hatred in the past. Shipnuck’s publication has resurfaced FIGJAM as an alternative to Phil Mickelson’s name. What do you think about this? Share your views in the comments section below.
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