‘Oldest Major Champ’ Mickelson "On a Roll for Back-to-Back Wins"... What About Im Sung-jae?

Charles Schwab Challenge: Burger vs Morikawa 'Return Match' for 46th Career Win, Spieth Returns Home, Korea Led by Im Sungjae

‘51-year-old veteran’ Phil Mickelson challenges for back-to-back wins at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] The '51-year-old veteran' Phil Mickelson is aiming for back-to-back wins.

On the night of the 27th (Korean time), the PGA Tour Charles Schwab Challenge (total prize money $7.5 million) will be held at Colonial Golf Club (par 70, 7,209 yards) near Fort Worth, Texas, USA. Defending champion Daniel Berger and Collin Morikawa, who lost in a playoff last year, are set for a rematch, and 'Texas boy' Jordan Spieth (all from the USA) is aiming for his second win of the season in his hometown. Leading the Korean contingent is Im Sung-jae (23, CJ Logistics).

Mickelson caused a stir by winning the PGA Championship that ended on the 24th. At 51 years and 11 months old, and more importantly, becoming the first player in global golf history to win a major championship in his 50s, surpassing Julius Boros (USA, 48 years and 4 months) who won in 1968, this is big news. Since winning the Northern Telecom as an amateur in January 1991, he has reached a total of 45 wins over 30 years and 4 months, breaking Raymond Floyd's (USA) record for the longest winning span (28 years and 11 months).

It is noteworthy that Mickelson displayed overwhelming performance comparable to his prime during his victory. He hit drives up to 366 yards, had an iron shot green hit rate of 63.89%, and averaged 1.65 putts per hole with 'stingy putting.' His strict self-management, including a protein and vegetable-based diet, intense strength training, and consistent practice, was the starting point. He also made bold experiments such as increasing distance with a 47.9-inch long driver.

Mickelson himself expressed confidence, saying, "I believed I could achieve this result," and "The driving force behind the victory is endless effort." It is interesting that he will challenge the 'Career Grand Slam,' sweeping all four different major championships, at the US Open starting on the night of the 17th of next month. The US Open is a fortress where he finished second six times in 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2013. He stated, "This is practically the last chance this year," and "I will give everything at every tournament."

Experts have named Berger, Morikawa, Spieth, and world No. 2 Justin Thomas (USA) as contenders. Morikawa is looking to avenge his failure to defend his title at the PGA Championship, and Spieth also has regrets over missing the chance for a 'Career Grand Slam.' Spieth's perfect compatibility with the course is especially powerful, having won by 3 strokes (17-under 263) at Colonial Golf Club in 2016. Kim Si-woo (26), An Byeong-hun (30), and Kang Sung-hoon (34, CJ Logistics) are also watching for opportunities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.