Phil Mickelson is Moving Up the List of All-Time Greats

Despite being one of the most heartwarming stories golf has seen in quite some time, Phil Mickelson’s victory at the 2010 Masters was also very important in terms of validating his place in the game’s history.

Although four may not seem like much more than three, when it comes to major championships victories, it’s an Everest sized leap.

There are now only three players who have won more green jackets than Mickelson: Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Arnold Palmer.

With his win on Sunday at Augusta National, Mickelson jumped ahead of players such as Nick Price, Julius Boros, Hale Erwin, Billy Casper, Vijay Singh, and Jimmy Demaret on the list of all-time major championship wins.

Mickelson pulled even with players such as Tom Morris Sr., Tom Morris Jr., Bobby Locke, Willie Anderson, and Raymond Floyd.

He has also moved within one of joining Peter Thomson, Seve Ballesteros, and Byron Nelson, with five career major championship wins.

Three major championships is quite an accomplishment, but players such as Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington have also won three during the same era.

With four major championships, you’re beginning to separate yourself from the non-Tiger pack.

Where does Mickelson stand right now?

Well, he ranks 12th on the list of most career PGA Tour wins with 38.  Two more wins and he will crack the top-10.

He is currently tied for 19th on the list of career major championship victories.  Two more majors, and he will join Nick Faldo and Lee Trevino in a tie for 12th.  Three more and he cracks the top-10.

So let me pose the most obvious question of them all:  Does Mickelson have a legitimate chance to be considered one of the top 10 greatest golfers of all-time?

One would have to say yes, he’s got a very good chance.

Three more wins at the majors, and Mickelson will crack the top-10 in all-time wins as well as career major championships victories.

Obviously the human race has never been able to predict the future with any measure of accuracy. 

However, a realistic prediction for Mickelson would be six majors and 50 PGA Tour wins.

That would put him in a tie for 12th in all-time major championship victories, and in seventh place on the list of most career PGA Tour wins, where he’d be surrounded by names such as Walter Hagen, Billy Casper and Byron Nelson, and he’d move ahead of players such as Gene Sarazen and Tom Watson.

It’s tough to think of Mickelson in this way.  This is mostly due to the fact that he just happens to play during the same era as a golfer who will probably be considered the greatest player of all-time.

But that should not, in any way, dilute Mickelson’s accomplishments.  If anything, it should add to their significance.

If Mickelson does get to 50 PGA Tour wins and six major championships, he would have done so during an era where one man dominated the game like no one else in history.   

Although it may not seem like it at the moment, Mickelson’s win last week at the Masters was extremely important to his standing in the game’s long and illustrious history.

If he can keep his game together for a few more years, it will be tough to leave Mickelson off any list of the top-10 golfers of all-time.

Check out The Tour Report's Monday Backspin Blog to find out how Mickelson's shot on 13 will define his career.