"Phil Mickelson is a has been"; "Keep playing clown events" – Fans react to 'YouTuber' 6x major champ's poor start at 2025 PGA Championship

Phil Mickelson had a nightmare of a start at the PGA Championship 2025 as the veteran golfer carded an 8-over 79. Following the first round, he finished 15 strokes behind the lead and is now on the verge of missing the cut.

Phil Mickelson is a two-time winner at the PGA Championship but hasn't been in the best form over the past few seasons. He opened his week at Quail Hollow Club with four bogeys on the front nine and picked up just one birdie. The back nine went worse, as he bogeyed three straight holes (14–16) before double-bogeying the 17th.

The six-time major champ is currently tied for 112th and will need a Herculean effort to make the cut on Day 2 at the PGA Championship.

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Fans online trolled Phil Mickelson for his disappointing start at the PGA Championship. Many took jibes at LIV Golf star for recently becoming a YouTube creator.

Here's a look at some reactions:

"Phil is a has been. Game went to s**t at LIV!" one fan wrote.

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"Keep playing clown events," another fan wrote.

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"Not bad for a YouTuber," this user wrote sarcastically.

"This dude needs to stay off youtube and far away from douchey Horvat," another user opined.

"Yes but did he make money betting on himself?" this fan remarked.

"Maybe if they played real courses instead of the garbage amateur courses that Liv has them play on they might be ready for a PGA championship. It’s pretty telling where that tour is at when the only one who can come in and actually have a chance is a superstar like Bryson," one fan posted.

When will Phil Mickelson tee off at the PGA Championship 2025, Round 2?

Phil Mickelson will tee off for the second round of the PGA Championship 2025 on Friday, May 16, from the first hole at 1:14 p.m. ET. He is paired alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Jason Day.

The opening tee time at the PGA Championship 2025 will begin at 7:00 a.m., and Keith Mitchell, Bob Sowards, and Adam Hadwin will tee off from the first hole. Meanwhile, the first group off the 10th tee will feature Michael Kartrude, Sami Valimaki, and Jake Knapp, teeing off at 7:05 a.m. ET.

Eugenio Chacarra, Rupe Taylor, and Justin Lower are in the final group from the first hole and will tee off at 2:42 p.m. ET. On the 10th hole, Dylan Newman, Daniel van Tonder, and Victor Perez will tee off at 2:37 p.m. ET as the last group for the day.

About the author

Shobhit is one of Sportskeeda’s most seasoned golf journalists, having already authored 3600+ articles and received nearly 5.7 million reads. Prior to his current role, he worked with the Asiana Times after completing his MSc in Geology, giving him a solid foundation in understanding the terrain, variety and challenges posed by various golf courses.

He is a keen follower of the sport and keeps himself updated about the latest trends, news and updates via social media and various news platforms. Shobhit is also methodical about accuracy, going through multiple articles from leading media houses and reputed sources before writing his own. Simultaneously, he specializes in writing reader-friendly content that conveys the necessary information in simple language.

Shobhit was a fan of Tiger Woods growing up, but of late, Nelly Korda, Scottie Scheffler and Ludvig Aberg have caught his attention.

He likes to spend his downtime singing and writing, while he is also an avid watcher of cricket and tennis.

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Edited by Shobhit Kukreti