First published 2022
Phil Mickelson has dominated professional golf for over thirty years, culminating in his historic 2021 PGA Championship victory at age fifty-one as the oldest major winner ever. Sports Illustrated writer Alan Shipnuck delivers an unauthorized biography that exposes the contradictions defining this polarizing champion. Shipnuck reveals the massive scale of Mickelson's gambling losses, the bitter split with longtime caddie Jim "Bones" Mackay, and the secret negotiations behind the Saudi golf league that Mickelson used against the PGA Tour. The book contrasts Mickelson's showman personality with Tiger Woods' reserved demeanor, exploring how their rivalry shaped both careers. While Woods faced scandals and injuries, Mickelson continued thriving on course and in endorsements. Shipnuck balances revelations of controversy with accounts of Mickelson's genuine kindness toward fans and strangers. Drawing from decades covering Mickelson's triumphs and failures, the author provides intimate access to golf's most complex figure.
Genres: biography, sports, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: rivals-to-lovers
Period: 2021, 30 Years
256 pages · Hardcover · Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster