2021 PGA Championship photos

Inside Phil Mickelsons historic win.

Phil Mickelson began the final round with a one-shot lead and a chance to make history as the oldest major-winner in golf history. All eyes were on him. (Scott Halleran/Scott Halleran)

Mickelson got off to a rocky start in his final round. He made three bogeys, three birdies and three pars on his opening nine holes. The thrill ride was underway. (Eoin Clarke/Eoin Clarke)

Mickelson briefly lost the lead to playing partner Brooks Koepka during the opening nine. But at the turn he was back in front. Mickelson birdied 10 as Koepka made bogey, and Mickelson took a lead he would never relinquish. (Eoin Clarke/Eoin Clarke)

On the par-5 16th, Mickelson unleashed a 366-yard drive, which was the longest tee shot from anyone in the field on that hole all week. Mickelson made birdie to take a three-shot lead into the final two holes. (Scott Halleran/Scott Halleran)

Published Jun 2, 2021

GARY VAN SICKLE

Van Sickle has covered golf since 1980, following the tours to 125 men’s major championships, 14 Ryder Cups and one sweet roundtrip flight on the late Concorde. He is likely the only active golf writer who covered Tiger Woods during his first pro victory, in Las Vegas in 1996, and his 81st, in Augusta. Van Sickle’s work appeared, in order, in The Milwaukee Journal, Golf World magazine, Sports Illustrated (20 years) and Golf.com. He is a former president of the Golf Writers Association of America. His knees are shot, but he used to be a half-decent player. He competed in two national championships (U.S. Senior Amateur, most recently in 2014); made it to U.S. Open sectional qualifying once and narrowly missed the Open by a scant 17 shots (mostly due to poor officiating); won 10 club championships; and made seven holes-in-one (though none lately). Van Sickle’s golf equipment stories usually are based on personal field-testing, not press-release rewrites. His nickname is Van Cynical. Yeah, he earned it.

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