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The Loop

Enjoy this video montage of Phil Mickelson swinging out of his shoes (and grunting?) during his senior tour debut

August 27, 2020

It didn't take long for Phil Mickelson to establish himself as the man to beat—and watch—on the PGA Tour Champions. The five-time major champ fired an opening 61, led wire-to-wire, and even tied the senior circuit's 54-hole scoring record in his dominant debut.

But it was Mickelson's tactical way of taking apart Ozarks National that really caught the attention of golf fans. He may be a rookie among the geezers, but this savvy vet really knows how to conservatively manage his way around a golf course. . . Kidding!

He hit driver every chance he got—including out of the pine straw!—and swung completely out of his shoes for the entire event, fulPHILing his promise to "hit bombs." And this video montage perfectly encapsulates Lefty's four-shot victory:

Is he grunting now, too? Somewhere, Monica Seles is smiling.

Tiger Woods was certainly impressed by Mickelson's debut, specifically the pop he showed off the tee.

"There's no reason why he can't win every event he plays out there," Woods told reporters before the BMW Championship. "He's got such a big advantage over the rest of the field just with sheer length."

Patience, Tiger. Another few years and you can have the same.