Phil Mickelson is back! LIV Golf South Africa sets the stage for the legend's comeback. The golf world is ready! Phil Mickelson kicks off his 35th year as a professional this week at LIV Golf South Africa. And expectations are high: he's set to propel the HyFlyers GC forward and build on his truly strong performance from last season. The man is a legend – 57 professional wins, six major titles, a Hall of Famer. But golfers know: even legends sometimes face private turmoil. Phil had to sit out the first four events of the 2026 LIV Golf season due to family matters. His HyFlyers, meanwhile, made do with substitutes, including Australian Wade Ormsby for the past three weeks. Last week in Singapore saw a tenth-place finish – their best result yet! – but they haven't really hit their stride. They currently sit 12th in the team standings. And that's despite having the league's youngest player, 21-year-old Michael La Sasso, an NCAA Division I Champion who turned professional specifically for LIV Golf this year. Before the family issues, Phil sounded genuinely euphoric, as the 2025 season was personally very strong for him. He finished 24th in the individual standings, putting him in the "Lock Zone" for the first time in his LIV Golf career! And in Hong Kong, he claimed a sensational third place – his best individual result ever. Three top-10 finishes – that was as many as in his first three seasons combined! Now he's back! Phil Mickelson is teeing off again this week in South Africa. "Last year went really well for me," Mickelson said in January at a league meeting. "I started playing well. Had some really good chances, which was motivating. Competing against so many top golfers every week is tough, but super exciting. I love the challenge. For 2026, I'm super optimistic and excited to see what the year brings." The veteran, who celebrates his 56th birthday in June, also knows that adjustments were necessary. He's worked particularly hard on his tee shots to improve precision. "I talked last year about needing to play and score differently," Mickelson explained. "I simply can't keep up with the increasingly insane speeds of these guys who are chasing the ball over the course at 190-plus ball speed. But I can hit all the shots – and if I can keep the driver in play, which worked really well last year, then I make a lot of birdies and can fully compete because other areas of my game were very strong." And another ace up his sleeve: his short game, that magic that had let him down a bit for a while, is back. What a comeback! "That could be the game-changer," he exulted. "I always relied on my short game to score and compete. It was a burden. Now it's a weapon again. That's why I'm so excited."
