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  • Phil Mickelson WITB (12th June, 2025) - What's In The Bag? The US Open @ Oakmont Golf and Country Club

Phil Mickelson WITB (12th June, 2025) - What's In The Bag? The US Open @ Oakmont Golf and Country Club

Only Phil would show up with a driver lofted like a 1-iron and expect to hit fairways. The 7° Ping G440 LST is a flame-throwing moon laser built for low spin, high chaos, and the occasional alien transmission. Coupled with the super-stiff Tour AD VF-5 X shaft, it’s a setup more suited for long drive competitions or angry astronauts.

June 12, 2025

Phil Mickelson at the 2025 U.S. Open: One Last Lefty Lunge at Immortality (and Probably a Rules Official)

Phil Mickelson is back at the U.S. Open, and honestly, it feels like golf’s version of a Quentin Tarantino character making one final entrance—older, louder, and almost certainly packing something illegal. At 54, he’s not here for a farewell tour. He’s here to stir the pot, roast the establishment, maybe hole out from a bunker, and potentially punch fate right in the khakis.

This year, he’s rolling into Oakmont like a man who’s either about to miss the cut by nine or flirt with leaderboard chaos because he got a putting tip from Elon Musk and three espressos deep. Lefty doesn’t just “play” U.S. Opens. He crash-lands into them like a meteor with a caffeine addiction.

Phil’s career at the U.S. Open is Shakespearean. Six runner-up finishes. Countless heartbreaks. And who could forget the 2022 Brooklyn bunker meltdown that featured more rules officials than a PGA Board meeting? Every year, we wonder: Is this it? Will he finally complete the career Grand Slam? Will he finally exorcise the demons hiding in the thick U.S. Open rough—alongside a few LIV NDAs?

And then there’s his gear. My god, the gear.

Phil’s been swapping bags and bending lofts like a mad scientist on a sugar bender. He’s gamed more brands than anyone not under contract with a petrodollar regime. But this season, he’s gone full Ping-Callaway Frankenstein—a bag so cobbled together it should require a seatbelt.

Despite it all, Phil insists he’s still competing. He still bombs it (if by “bomb” you mean violently swerves a 320-yard knuckleball into another fairway). He still has the softest hands in golf—unless you count his Twitter thumbs, which are made of pure sarcasm. And he still thinks he can win. Which is exactly why you can’t count him out.

Phil at Oakmont is a perfect mix of chaos and possibility. He could shoot 67. He could shoot 78. He could shoot both in one day and spend the afternoon explaining quantum putting theory to a volunteer marshall. Either way, we’re watching. Because when Phil’s in the field, the tournament has electricity—even if he’s just short-circuiting it himself.

Will this be his last U.S. Open? Maybe. Will it be weird, wild, and somehow unforgettable? Absolutely. That’s Lefty, baby. America’s golf uncle, back for one more swing at history—and possibly the USGA.

🛠️ Phil Mickelson’s 2025 Golf Bag – Full Specs Breakdown (AKA “Lefty’s Mad Science Lab”)

Driver: Ping G440 LST 7°, Tour AD Graphite Design VF-5 X shaft
Only Phil would show up with a driver lofted like a 1-iron and expect to hit fairways. The 7° Ping G440 LST is a flame-throwing moon laser built for low spin, high chaos, and the occasional alien transmission. Coupled with the super-stiff Tour AD VF-5 X shaft, it’s a setup more suited for long drive competitions or angry astronauts.

3 Wood: Ping G430 Max 15°, Tour AD Graphite Design VF-7 X shaft
A rocket launcher disguised as a 3-wood. Phil uses this club for nuclear missile strikes off the deck and stingers that leave skid marks. The VF-7 X shaft gives him just enough whip to make it dance—violently.

5 Wood: Ping G430 Max 18°, Tour AD Graphite Design VF-8 X shaft
This one’s for the classic Lefty rope hook into tucked pins or attempting to carry a 270-yard bunker on a dare. Let’s be honest, it’s in the bag because Phil might have a plan. Or not.

7 Wood: Ping G430 Max 21°, Tour AD Graphite Design VF-9 X shaft
Because nothing screams “I’m 54 and still dangerous” like a 7-wood with a VF-9 X shaft. This is the club Phil hits when the laws of physics don’t apply. Perfect for high fades, low hooks, or whatever vision he’s manifesting mid-round.

Irons: Callaway Rogue ST Pro (5), Callaway X Forged 2013 (6-9), Mitsubishi MMT 115TX shafts
Phil is still gaming a 2013 iron model because why not? The Rogue ST Pro 5-iron bridges the gap between tech and nostalgia, while the classic X Forged 6-9s bring back good vibes from a decade ago. With MMT 115TX shafts, he’s going all-in on control and feel—aka “tight dispersion with a chance of shank.”

Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw 50° (10J), Callaway Mack Daddy PM Grind 19 55° & 60°, Mitsubishi MMT 115TX shafts
His 50° is clean and classic. Then it gets wild. The 55° and 60° PM Grinds look like someone tried to build a Swiss Army knife out of a spatula. These are built for flop shots, bunker artistry, and confusing your playing partners. Mickelson could get up and down from the parking lot with these.

Putter: Odyssey PM Prototype “Tiger-Slayer” with White Hot XG insert, Super Stroke Pistol GT Tour
This mythical mallet—dubbed the “Tiger-Slayer”—has the kind of confidence energy only Phil could pull off. It’s torched, customized, and full of good juju (or curses, depending on your allegiance). The XG insert is buttery soft, and the grip says: “I’m still here, haters.”

Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour Triple Diamond
A high-spin monster with low-compression feel. It’s designed for control, flight, and giving Mickelson that extra sauce around the greens where he still does ungodly things.

Grips: Golf Pride MCC
The Tour standard. No frills. Just enough texture to hold onto that club when he’s attempting a backwards flop shot from a cart path.

🧠 Phil at Oakmont: U.S. Open 2025 Prospects & The End of the Line?

This might be it.

Phil Mickelson, golf’s mad wizard and most polarizing cult hero, may be walking into Oakmont for his final U.S. Open. And if it is, then buckle up, because you can bet your 401k it’s going to be dramatic.

The story is already baked in. He’s 54. He’s played in 30 U.S. Opens. He’s finished second six times. The career Grand Slam has haunted him longer than a PGA press release. And now? He’s fading out of relevance to everyone except Twitter, where he’s still MVP of Petty Golf Takes.

But don’t let the “old man yells at cloud” vibes fool you. Mickelson still believes he can win. He still has the fire, the calves, the short game, and the delusional self-confidence that powered him to a shocking PGA Championship win at 50. And Oakmont, brutal and unforgiving, is exactly the kind of venue where a madman could thrive.

The setup matters too. The driver is nuclear. The woods are dialed. The irons are a Frankenstein blend of modern tech and old-school soul. And the PM grind wedges? They still drop jaws when Phil decides to hit flop shots from lies you wouldn’t try with a shovel. His bag isn’t just unique—it’s a manifesto.

Still, the odds are stacked. Oakmont will punish misses. And Phil’s dispersion chart has looked like a Jackson Pollock painting all year. If the putter catches fire, though, all bets are off. Lefty is a momentum monster. One bomb putt on Thursday and he’s grinning, tipping his visor, and writing checks his short game just might cash.

Off the course, the vibe is even weirder. He’s still LIV’s spiritual mascot, beloved by some, loathed by others. He's no longer the people’s champ. He’s the people’s conspiracy uncle. But in a strange way, that makes him more compelling. He doesn’t need your love anymore. He’s playing for legacy. For history. For that damn Grand Slam.

Will he contend? Probably not. Could he shoot 66 on Friday, start trending, and get everyone to believe again? Absolutely. And if this is his last U.S. Open, you just know he’ll do something unforgettable. A final fist pump. A lob wedge over a cameraman. A quote that melts the internet. Maybe even a 17th-place finish that feels like a win.

Whatever happens, we’ll watch. Because it’s Phil. Because he might do something impossible. And because golf—real, unpredictable, raw golf—is better with a little Lefty chaos.

Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour Triple Diamond

Grips: Golf Pride MCC

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