Will Phil play the champions tour next year?

Phil Mickelson turns 50 next year. Does he play the champions tour in 2020 where he could probably pick up a few wins or stick to the PGATOUR where he is still somewhat competitive (1 win and 6 top 10s)?

Ask Tom Gillis! I'm sure he thinks Phil owes it to someone . . . .

Nope

No way. Phil can still win on the regular tour.

If the stars line up right

We will be watchin Phil for many years to come.

Course, the guys on the CT might be like,

Oh, man, here comes Phil,

And all pretend to be on their phones when he walks in

But thats ok with me ; )

I dont believe he will. Phil is still way too good and competitive to go the leisure Tour route. I have always said and still believe you will not see Phil on that Tour and you will NEVER see Tiger.

Ask Tom Gillis! I'm sure he thinks Phil owes it to someone . . . .

Well played sir!

Ask Tom Gillis! I'm sure he thinks Phil owes it to someone . . . .

Yep.

I have a hard time seeing Phil out there. I think he'll hang onto the regular tour for as long as he feels like he can still compete. Once he reaches the point where he feels that it's passed him by I think he'll just hang it up and do TV or something.

The Champions Tour is a great "second career" for a lot of guys. Opportunity to keep making some good money for several more years after your days of competing on the regular tour are behind you. But I think for the guys that just don't need it -- Phil, Tiger, etc. -- it would be hard to get motivated for it.

He'll turn 50 during US Open week at Winged Foot next year.

The US Senior Open is the following week in Rhode Island. I think he'll be there, but that may be his only Senior Tour event of the year.

Ask Tom Gillis! I'm sure he thinks Phil owes it to someone . . . .

 

 

Yep.

Just beat you guys to the draw - teed up way too nice!

I have a hard time seeing Phil out there. I think he'll hang onto the regular tour for as long as he feels like he can still compete. Once he reaches the point where he feels that it's passed him by I think he'll just hang it up and do TV or something.

 

The Champions Tour is a great "second career" for a lot of guys. Opportunity to keep making some good money for several more years after your days of competing on the regular tour are behind you. But I think for the guys that just don't need it -- Phil, Tiger, etc. -- it would be hard to get motivated for it.

Same.

Neither of those guys need the money, and I think they'd both feel they were playing for some sort of junior-league trophies.

Initially I thought Tiger had less chance of showing up on the Seniors than Phil - because both reasons above are even stronger for him. But I'm not sure he's got as many other interests and hobbies away from the course. There's a slim chance he'd show up there just "for something to do".

I could see Phil playing in the Senior US Open because ... well ... it's his only shot at ever winning a US Open.

I thought Bones said he didn't think Phil would play the senior tour, except for maybe a Senior US Open at a special course.

Phil's already announced he will cut down his playing schedule this year. I wonder if he was mainly playing for the 2018 Ryder Cup the last couple of years? And of course the U.S. Open (although he didn't even play in 2017 at Erin Hills).

I'd love to see him win the U.S. Open. Obviously it's a long shot at this point. However, it does feel like Pebble Beach this year is truly his last shot, as a) he's had success there in the past (granted at a different time of the year/course conditions) and b) the course is not overly long (holes 2, 9, and 10 are long par 4s) so maybe he can get away with not having to swing (or pray with) the driver 14 times per round.

After Pebble Beach, Winged Foot and Torrey Pines are next. Unfortunately, at this point I don't think either of these will setup well for him (and thus, wonder if his play will taper off even faster after this summer).

No way; there's no advantages to teeing it up there when he's still near the top on the regular tour.

I can't see Phil playing much, if at all, on the Champions Tour.

The best example that I can give is Davis Love. He's what 55 or just about to turn 55. Last year he played the most amount of Champions Tour events ever for him. He played four times. Phil if anything looks like he would be more competitive the Love on the regular tour so from that I can hardly see Mickelson playing with the old guys at all.

I can't see Phil playing much, if at all, on the Champions Tour.

 

The best example that I can give is Davis Love. He's what 55 or just about to turn 55. Last year he played the most amount of Champions Tour events ever for him. He played four times. Phil if anything looks like he would be more competitive the Love on the regular tour so from that I can hardly see Mickelson playing with the old guys at all.

Davis Love III is a good comparison. However, I wonder if Phil would even care about playing if he's playing at a lower level (unclear how long he can remain in the top 50 or so) / competing in Tier 3 tournaments.

Davis won in 2015, which is definitely an accomplishment. However, it's not like a win like this would really move the needle for Phil. He seemed to like the challenge of competing with all the top young players - is this the same for some random PGA tour field?

I guess I wouldn't be surprised if Phil basically shuts it down after this summer. Really, all that matters for him (in terms of standing in the game/history) is the U.S. Open...

I can't see Phil playing much, if at all, on the Champions Tour.

 

The best example that I can give is Davis Love. He's what 55 or just about to turn 55. Last year he played the most amount of Champions Tour events ever for him. He played four times. Phil if anything looks like he would be more competitive the Love on the regular tour so from that I can hardly see Mickelson playing with the old guys at all.

Davis Love III is a good comparison. However, I wonder if Phil would even care about playing if he's playing at a lower level (unclear how long he can remain in the top 50 or so) / competing in Tier 3 tournaments.

 

Davis won in 2015, which is definitely an accomplishment. However, it's not like a win like this would really move the needle for Phil. He seemed to like the challenge of competing with all the top young players - is this the same for some random PGA tour field?

 

I guess I wouldn't be surprised if Phil basically shuts it down after this summer. Really, all that matters for him (in terms of standing in the game/history) is the U.S. Open...

I think that he keeps going. He said after the WGC win last year that he would get to 50 wins...wishful thinking I believe...but that will keep him going certainly in the short to medium term.

He'll turn 50 during US Open week at Winged Foot next year.

 

The US Senior Open is the following week in Rhode Island. I think he'll be there, but that may be his only Senior Tour event of the year.

Newport CC will be his first opportunity to play a “Senior” event

I can't see Phil playing much, if at all, on the Champions Tour.

 

The best example that I can give is Davis Love. He's what 55 or just about to turn 55. Last year he played the most amount of Champions Tour events ever for him. He played four times. Phil if anything looks like he would be more competitive the Love on the regular tour so from that I can hardly see Mickelson playing with the old guys at all.

Davis even said the other day he is planning to play a full PGA Tour schedule this year and looking to qualify for the majors. He's at the Singapore Open this week as it doubles as a qualifier for The Open.

https://smbcsingapor....com/tee-times/

Phil is a good 4-5 yeasts away from even thinking about playing on the Senior Circuit. He may play a senior us or British open if timing fits with his pga tour schedule. I doubt he plays any type of schedule on the senior side once he is no longer competitive on the pga tour.

Phil likes to gamble and compete. No way he let's an opportunity to take the old guys money slip by. He may not dive head first into that tour, but I think he'll be there eventually.

Phil was 13th on the PGA money list in 2018, pulling in $4,595,187.

Bernhard Langer was 1st on the Champions money list in 2018, pulling in $2,222,154.

That's ignoring the vast difference in sponsorship money available to him staying on the PGA Tour.

No chance he moves any time soon.

Phil was 13th on the PGA money list in 2018, pulling in $4,595,187.

 

Bernhard Langer was 1st on the Champions money list in 2018, pulling in $2,222,154.

 

That's ignoring the vast difference in sponsorship money available to him staying on the PGA Tour.

 

No chance he moves any time soon.

So, Phil plays for the money?

Phil was 13th on the PGA money list in 2018, pulling in $4,595,187.

 

Bernhard Langer was 1st on the Champions money list in 2018, pulling in $2,222,154.

 

That's ignoring the vast difference in sponsorship money available to him staying on the PGA Tour.

 

No chance he moves any time soon.

 

 

So, Phil plays for the money?

I'm not saying that's the primary thing motivating him, but it sure as heck doesn't hurt.

Nah...Phil can make more money playing Tiger once a year than a full schedule on the Champions Tour...

Phil was 13th on the PGA money list in 2018, pulling in $4,595,187.

 

Bernhard Langer was 1st on the Champions money list in 2018, pulling in $2,222,154.

 

That's ignoring the vast difference in sponsorship money available to him staying on the PGA Tour.

 

No chance he moves any time soon.

 

 

So, Phil plays for the money?

 

I'm not saying that's the primary thing motivating him, but it sure as heck doesn't hurt.

Of course you're saying that. You referred to money 5 times in 4 sentences (not that there is anything wrong with that).

The guy grosses ~$50M/yr.

He would have won a lot more had he focused on execution and less on the prize. But, no matter, Enbrel loves Phil.

Someone should corner Phil and ask him the following question:

"Would you give up your $400M net worth to have (1) US Open?"

Let me save him or her the trouble.

Phil's answer: "No."

I focused on the money because it's quite obvious that the competition is better on the PGA Tour than the Champions Tour. The only reason in my eyes that he'd switch is if he wasn't competitive and the money was significantly better on the other tour. Neither one of those is true.

Feel free to twist it however you like, up to and including somehow thinking you know my opinion on the subject better than I do, apparently. Get a grip.

When Phil stops smashing drivers with 175 ball speed, he can think about the CT. Til then, he can and will compete on PGA tour.