Phil Mickelson’s victory in the US PGA Championship last night earned him his sixth Golf Major and a place in the history books as the oldest winner of one of the sports top events.
He will be 51 next month but showed no sign of being any less equipped than his younger rivals down the stretch, holing out to win by two clear strokes with Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and Shane Lowry finishing in a tie for fourth.
The atmosphere at Kiawah Island on the Carolina Coast was fevered with the image above from Sky Television’s coverage showing Mickelson walking up the 18th fairway surrounded by fans.
Mickelson is one of the most popular players on the circuit and was gracious in how he dealt with a crush that might have caused real upset to others.
As a mark of the man when he played in China for the first time he learned how to sign his name in Mandarin and spent two hours at the end of each day chatting with young fans.
Like many of the top golfers, his net worth is comfortably into the millions but he is also among the leaders in giving back.
In 2019 his Mickelson Foundation became the host of the American Express Tour event in California, raising $1 million dollars for local children’s charities.
He owns a number of public and private golf courses in the State of Arizona where he attended University and began his career.
In terms of sponsorship, he has a long-standing relationship with KPMG whose brand he has worn on his cap since 2008. Together they have donated 250,000 books to schools across the country.
The Inspiring Win programme also fits out a new school library in the vicinity of the tournament every time one of the KPMG Golf ambassadors wins a professional tournament. This weekend will lead to the 15th such gift being made.
He also has partnerships with Workday and Callaway on his shirt, and with Amstel, Rolex, Vista Jet, Mallin and Main, Greyhawk, Intrepid Financial partners and Melin hats.
KPMG and Golf Ireland are among more than 250+ members of the Sport for Business network of sporting and business organisations working together across a number of key areas from sponsorship and research to advocacy and innovation.
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