Phil Mickelson will test out the PGA Tour Champions and play his first event on Monday at the Charles Schwab Series at Ozarks National. The three-round tournament will begin Monday at Ozarks National golf course in Ridgedale, Missouri.
The 50-year-old became eligible to play the Champions Tour in June, but said he still wanted to play on the PGA Tour. Mickelson missed the cut on Friday at The Northern Trust, ending his chance of moving on to the next round of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Mickelson told reporters he is excited to play on the PGA Tour Champions.
“I am looking forward to playing my first Champions Tour event in the Ozarks next week,†Mickelson said. “I am excited to see what Johnny Morris has created in the hills of the Ozarks. Johnny has been a great innovator for golf development and the PGA Tour. I know the Ozarks has been one of the favorite stops on the Champions Tour.â€
Mickelson Favorite in PGA Tour Champions Debut
Oddsmakers are bullish on Mickelson’s first PGA Tour Champions tournament. He is the 2/1 favorite at both the Westgate and BetMGM to win the Charles Schwab Series at Ozarks National.
Odds to Win Charles Schwab Series at Ozarks National
| Westgate | Bovada | DraftKings | |
| Phil Mickelson | 2/1 | 5/2 | 3/1 |
| Steve Stricker | 8/1 | 8/1 | 8/1 |
| Bernhard Langer | 12/1 | 9/1 | 14/1 |
| Ernie Els | 12/1 | 14/1 | 12/1 |
| Miguel Angel Jimenez | 14/1 | 14/1 | 14/1 |
| Jerry Kelly | 20/1 | 22/1 | 14/1 |
| Scott Parel | 20/1 | 25/1 | 22/1 |
| Woody Austin | 25/1 | 25/1 | 22/1 |
| Retief Goosen | 25/1 | 28/1 | 22/1 |
| Kevin Sutherland | 30/1 | 28/1 | 16/1 |
| Rod Pampling | 30/1 | 28/1 | 14/1 |
| K.J. Choi | 30/1 | 33/1 | 40/1 |
| Robert Karlsson | 30/1 | 20/1 | 25/1 |
| Colin Montgomerie | 40/1 | 40/1 | 33/1 |
| Vijay Singh | 40/1 | 40/1 | 40/1 |
Mickelson also likes his chances this week at Ozarks National.
“I feel like coming into this week I’ve been playing really well at home. I was excited to play, I feel like I’ve been playing decent, so I want to play,†Mickelson said. “I really want to play golf, and that will give me a chance to play three competitive rounds.â€
At The Northern Trust, Mickelson shot rounds of 74, 68 for even par, missing the cut by three shots.
Season Struggles for Lefty
When the year began for Mickelson at The American Express in January, he was excited about his possibilities. Mickelson had lost weight, gained muscle, and was optimistic about the season.
“I had a great off season, I’m excited to start the year, I’m curious as probably anybody is to see how well I play,†Mickelson said in January. “I think I’ve tried to address a lot of weaknesses or areas that needed to improve and my motivation is back — this is the best I’ve felt in years, maybe even decades.â€
Other than a third-place finish at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, Mickelson missed every cut.
After the 12-week break because of the COVID-19 pandemic, his lone highlight was a tie for second at the WGC FedEx St. Jude Invitational. The following week, he tied for 71st at the PGA Championship.
“So I really thought after finishing second last week, I really gained a lot of momentum,†Mickelson said after the PGA Championship. “I thought I was going to come here and have a great week and I barely made the cut, and just never got it going and was just a fraction off across the board.â€
Now he will test his game against golfers in his own age group. He joins a first-year class that includes Jim Furyk and Mike Weir.
