DECLINED: Phil Mickelson Won’t Accept Exemption For U.S. Open

As fans of the PGA TOUR, we sometimes take for granted that some of the most popular players in the game will be playing in all of the major championships. However, it’s not necessarily the case for Phil Mickelson.

Looking at the current Official World Golf Rankings, Lefty is sitting at No. 72 in the world. To automatically qualify for the U.S. Open, one has to be placed in the top 60 in the OWGR either by the end of the PGA Championship or on the Monday before the U.S. Open takes place. While that’s certainly plausible, talk has already started about Mickelson receiving a special exemption to play in the tournament….An exception that Phil explains he won’t be accepting.

When asked about the possibility of receiving an exemption to play, Phil quickly shot that possibility down stating he would never accept it. “They have never been an organization that likes to give out exemptions, special exemptions,” said Mickelson. “I don’t want a special exemption. I think I’ll get in the tournament. If I get in, I deserve to be there. If I don’t, I don’t. I don’t want a sympathy spot. If I am good enough to make it and qualify, then I need to earn my spot there.”

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Mickelson says that the U.S. Open has never been an organization to give out special exemptions. However, it’s actually happened on multiple occasions. Tom Watson, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Jack Niklaus, and Arnold Palmer have all played in the major on an exemption. I think for Phil, it’s likely more a feeling of pride for him as he doesn’t want to play in an event that he didn’t earn a place in.

So what can Mickelson do if he doesn’t qualify based on his ranking? His only option seems to be going through the qualifying process that some celebrities like Tony Romo go through. While Mickelson hasn’t played in one of those since 1993, I have a feeling that the veteran would be the favorite in any sectional or regional qualifier he would compete in.

Overall, Mickelson has played in 28 U.S. Opens. He has only missed one as a PGA TOUR player so he could attend his daughter’s high school graduation. Ironically, this year’s event is at Wingfoot where Mickelson had an epic collapse years ago…We can only hope that Lefty qualifies so he can have his chance at redemption.

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