Phil Mickelson Proves He Will Never Win a British Open Title After Missing Cut

Phil Mickelson cemented the fact that his career will always be missing an elusive British Open title after missing the cut on Friday at the 2012 Open Championship from Royal Lytham & St. Annes. 

Mickelson finished plus-11 after the tournament's first two rounds, shooting a costly 78 in Friday's second round. The defining statistic of Lefty's brief stay in England: He finished the Open's first 36 holes with as many double bogeys (four) as birdies. 

Over time, the British Open has proved to be a nightmare of sorts for Mickelson, which is why he will never win there. Mickelson has just two Top 10 finishes at the Open Championship in 17 career tries. His best finish came in 2011, when he finished second at Royal St. George's. 

Since last spring's 2012 Masters, Mickelson has looked absolutely lost on the golf course, finishing 65th at the US Open last month and missing the cut at the Greenbrier Classic leading up to the British Open. 

Mickelson has managed just four Top 10 finishes in 2012 since winning at Pebble Beach back in February, leading fans to wonder if he'll ever win a British Open. At age 42, a four-time major winner of Lefty's status should have already broke through at the British Open, where players like Ernie Els and Stewart Cink have won before.

Mickelson and his supporters can't blame bad luck or tough breaks for his constant failures at the British Open either because he has missed the cut there four times now in his career. For whatever reason, the Open Championship is not kind to Mickelson. Every little mistake there is magnified and anything that can go wrong for Lefty in England usually does. 

It's unfortunate for one of the sport's finest. But it's never been more clear than it is now that a British Open title will never come to fruition for Phil Mickelson. 

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