Phil Mickelson turned heads with his unusual outfit choice as he arrived at Royal Troon for the Open Championship in a pair of joggers – as golf fans were left divided on his selection of attire.
His decision to plump for a more casual look on the iconic Scottish course for the practice rounds came as he made good on a bet he had with YouTuber Grant Horvat. After appearing on a video with the internet sensation, he agreed that he would wear joggers at the Open if he was to lose in a match against the viral superstar on the channel.
With the content creator having came into proceedings at Rancho Santa Fe, California with a five-shot advantage, he edged out an unlikely victory over Mickelson. Sticking to his promise, the latter’s appearance at Royal Troon reflected his loss to the social media star, therefore.
Taking to Twitter/X in the wake of that defeat versus Horvat, the man known to fans as ‘Lefty’ made light of the situation as he saw the funny side, posting: “As an unfashionable 54 year old, I never thought I could pull off wearing joggers. Guess I was wrong. Thank you @GrantHorvatGolf. We both won.”
Speaking on the video, which garnered over a million views, Mickelson had admitted that he was worried that wearing joggers may not suit him at the Open as he cited his advancing years, saying: “Wow. I’m not sure I could pull that off. Were joggers meant for 54-year-olds?”
Still fans appeared to be impressed with the golf legend after he honoured his vow to Horvat, with one enthusiast saying: “Never too old for joggers on the course. If you’re not wearing shorts, joggers are easily the best option … regardless of age,” before adding: “Extremely comfortable. You’re also not constantly tugging at your pant leg.”
Meanwhile, a second commenter was also impressed as they said: “Are you sure you’re pulling it off?? Just kidding, Phil! Go win another one for us old guys!” before a third remarked: “You’re Phil Mickelson. You could accidentally start a fashion trend whatever you’re wearing.”
Still some naysayers were less convinced that the look suited the icon, with one person remarking: “Sorry Phil, but what’s the benefit of wearing joggers? I can understand a windy day on the practice green scenario, but the rest is lost on me?”, as another added: “They look horrendous, but not as horrendous as I imagined they would.”
The 54-year-old last won the event back in 2013 as he secured the fifth major of his career by edging out a thriller at Muirfield. Speaking to Golf Digest, he spoke optimistic ahead of the Open, saying: “This week I’m actually trying to do a lot of the things I did to prepare in 2016. I’m getting ready to hit in a lot of slice-winds. I’ve worked a lot on hitting draws back into that breeze, which is exactly what I did eight years ago.”
Mickelson added: “I’m having a lot of fun right now. I’m making progress. And this is a course that allows my game to flourish. I really don’t feel I have anything to prove. Regardless of what people might be saying about me, I have a love of playing golf. I love to compete and contend. That’s why I’m working hard. Being a part of these major championships means a lot to me.”
