LIV Golfer reflects on whether Phil Mickelson can still play at the highest level – “The other 55-year-olds are injured”

While many experts might have their doubts about Phil Mickelson's future, his LIV Golf teammate Brendan Steele feels the veteran golfer still has some golf left. He said that, usually, injury and speed are limiting factors, but Mickelson wasn't having problems with either.

Brendan Steele is a three-time winner on the PGA Tour who now plays on LIV Golf. He is a member of Phil Mickelson-led HyFlyers GC and helped his team achieve its first podium finish earlier this year by winning LIV Golf Adelaide.

Steele recently joined Jerry Foltz and Su-Ann Heng in the latest episode of LIV Golf's Fairway to Heaven podcast. During the podcast, Foltz asked Steele if it was time for Mickelson to hang up his clubs, considering his age and three-year title drought.

"No not at all. I've seen it," he replied. "I saw it all year I know it didn't come out during the tournaments as much as we would have liked. He (Mickelson) played really well in Saudi which was great. But the game that I saw all season from him is indicative of the way he can play and I think the way he will play next year.

"The limiting factors from his age would be injury and speed and he's not struggling for either one of those. So that's what I always tell him. I'm like forget how old you are the other 55-year-olds are injured, they can't keep up with the speed they don't want to do it anymore, you don't have any of that. So there's no limitations." he added.

He reminded fans that the six-time major champion had finished runner-up at the Masters Tournament last year and the PGA Championship 2021 win wasn't long ago.

"It was two PGA ago, type thing, and they don't give him enough credit from that standpoint," he continued. "I know this year wasn't as good a year as he would have liked or as our whole team would have liked, but we're determined to figure it out this offseason, have a really good few months here, and be ready to go come next season," he added.

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How did Phil Mickelson perform this season?

For Phil Mickelson, 2024 was yet another disappointing season as he failed to win anything for the third year in a row. He showed a glimpse of his vintage form with a T6 finish at Jeddah earlier this year, but he was unable to replicate this success for the rest of the season.

The 54-year-old golfer failed to make any other top-ten finishes and ended up 46th in the LIV Golf standings. Additionally, his team finished 12th in the season standings but managed to qualify for the semifinals at the Team Championship. Notably, his HyFlyers secured third place at LIV Golf Adelaide, marking their first-ever top-three finish.

In major championships, Phil Mickelson missed two cuts, and his best result was a T43 at Augusta National.