"26 TIMES before he hit it" - Phil Mickelson takes sarcastic dig at Patrick Cantlay’s slow play

Phil Mickelson took a hilarious swipe at Patrick Cantlay’s slow play after the latter got trolled on social media. The veteran golfer said that Cantlay shuffled his feet 26 times per shot and sarcastically stated it was proof of his peak physical fitness.

On Sunday, August 24, Patrick Cantlay carded a 1-over 71 in the final round of the Tour Championship to finish as joint runner-up. While he played some exceptional golf last week, he once again came under scrutiny for slow play. A broadcaster named Jason Page jokingly said that fans could see grass growing by the time Cantlay hit his shot.

Phil Mickelson shared Page's post and took a hilarious dig at Cantlay.

"He shuffled his right foot 26 times," he wrote on X. "26 TIMES before he hit it. 26 x 36 other shots is 936 foot shuffles. That’s more calf raises than I’ll ever do. You also must be in peak physical condition to do this daily so let’s stop all the hate and appreciate that golfers are athletes"

Phil Mickelson

@PhilMickelson

He shuffled his right foot 26 times. 26 TIMES before he hit it. 26 x 36 other shots is 936 foot shuffles. That’s more calf raises than I’ll ever do. You also must be in peak physical condition to do this daily so let’s stop all the hate and appreciate that golfers are athletes

This isn’t the first time Patrick Cantlay has been called out for slow play. Over the past few years, slow play has been a major point of discussion, and experts have often called for speeding up the game to maintain fan interest.

A couple of years ago, Cantlay admitted that he was slower than other players.

"I definitely take my time," he said as per Golf Magazine. "And when I hit my ball on a bulkhead, I'm definitely going to take my time to make sure I make the right decision and try to get the ball back into the right spot."

The eight-time PGA Tour champion also once said that slow play was more of a Tour issue than a player issue. He explained that tricky situations naturally require more time.

"If you really wanted to make guys play faster, you would put the tees up and you would put easier hole locations and the greens would roll at 10 if you really wanted it to, and you hope it never blew more than 10 miles an hour," he said as per Yahoo Sports.

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What's next for Phil Mickelson and Patrick Cantlay?

Phil Mickelson concluded his LIV Golf season with the Team Championship last week and will not be competing again this year. The ace golfer had his best season on the Saudi-backed circuit, finishing 24th in the standings.

The 55-year-old golf veteran made three top-ten finishes in 2025 and recorded his first-ever podium finish at the Hong Kong event. However, he didn’t have the same success in the majors, missing three cuts and tying for 54th at The Open Championship.

Patrick Cantlay has also wrapped up his PGA Tour season and will not be competing anytime soon unless he is selected for the Ryder Cup. If he is selected for Team USA, he will most likely play at the Procore Championship, which serves as a warm-up for the biennial event.

Patrick Cantlay had a solid 2025, missing just three cuts in 19 starts and posting five top-ten finishes. His T2 finish at the Tour Championship was his best result in more than two years.