Falling Just Short at Epic British Open Only Adds to Phil Mickelson's Legacy

In the end, Phil Mickelson's competitive side won out.

Upon finishing the Open Championship with a final-round 65 that left his aggregate score equal with what had been a 23-year-old tournament record, he wanted zero part of moral victories.

"No, it doesn't," he said curtly to NBC's Steve Sands, who had asked if putting up those numbers softened the blow of a runner-up finish to Henrik Stenson. "It's disappointing."

It was heat-of-the-moment acidity from a player long labeled one of the golf world's best guys, but it'd be awfully hard to blame the 46-year-old for what some might read as faulty graciousness.

Because finishing second on the sport's biggest stages is something he's grown to know all too well.

Sunday's near-miss was the 11th time in 96 major outings that he's taken silver to someone else's gold—not to mention seven thirds and a pair of fourths and fifths since turning pro in 1992.

It places him into a sole second behind Jack Nicklaus (19) on the quantitative list of all-time runners-up in majors, which won't do much to change the minds of those who paint him with the same broad brush as baseball's Atlanta Braves and football's Buffalo Bills on lists of history's most famous bridesmaids.

Rusty Kennedy/Associated Press

Before anyone blindly affixes another "he couldn't get the job done" sign to this one, here's a tip: don't.

Because it couldn't possibly be more wrong.

Rather than assuming the role of not-ready-for-primetime pretender or too-old-to-close geezer, all Mickelson did was play a bogey-free round with four birdies and an eagle, closing out a week in which his final score relative to par was good enough to outright win all but three previous Opens since 1946.

Only Nick Faldo in 1990 (minus-18), Tiger Woods in 2000 (minus-19) and Woods again in 2006 (minus-18) would have beaten his plunge to 17 under, and aside from Rory McIlroy's minus-17 at Royal Liverpool in 2014, no one else from the list of past champions would have warranted a playoff.

The man who finished third this year, J.B. Holmes, was 11 shots off Mickelson's pace. If not for Stenson, the five-time major champion would have posted the greatest winning margin at the Open since 1870.

Peter Morrison/Associated Press

"He played some brilliant golf, but just got beat by a better man today," NBC's Johnny Miller said on the broadcast. "If you'd have told me he'd have shot six-under and would still be three back? No way."

Indeed, rather than somehow marring a resume, Mickelson's week at Royal Troon adds another highlight to what he insists remains a work in progress.

Lest anyone forget, just 13 golfers in history have bettered the five majors he has actually been able to win—not to mention the 42 PGA Tour events. His dominance of all but one player in the field this week blended nicely with his intention to remain relevant well into his 50s.

Mickelson has finished 50th or better in the world rankings each year since 1993, including six straight top-35 finishes since turning 40 in June 2010. He entered the Open at No. 19 and may get a spot or two as a post-major bounce. By contrast, Woods, who's six years younger, hasn't won a major since 2008, hasn't played since last summer and watched Royal Troon from the sidelines at an irrelevant No. 615.

Had their prime years come at different times, the overall storylines might have veered dramatically. But on Sunday, it was a time to revel in the moment even if the moment didn't quite arrive.

Mickelson didn't give the Open away with a final-round disintegration or a 72nd-hole meltdown, nor did he sit idly by as a competitor charged past. Instead, he shot a closing round for the ages and did everything he could to validate his place in the game's pecking order. One other player in the 156-man field just happened to be slightly better.

"I was hopeful that I could shoot something in the mid-60s," he said after the round. "It's probably the best I've played and not won. I don't have a point where I can look back and say, 'I should have done that or had I only done this.' I played a bogey-free round of 65 on the final round of a major."

"Usually that's good enough to do it, and I got beat."

It's no surprise Mickelson's competitive analysis is black and white, but legacy allows for shades of gray.

No matter how vexing the loss may be at the moment, it should be remembered—alongside his majors, tour wins and Ryder Cup triumphs—as another great moment for an all-time great.