“I think distance is underrated right now” – When Phil Mickelson described his ‘grip-it-and-rip-it’ philosophy

In 2005, Phil Mickelson opened up about his "grip it and rip it" philosophy on the greens. The American golfer has established himself as one of the most successful players in the world, winning 57 professional tournaments, including six Majors since his professional debut in 1992. He won his first Major in 2004 at the Masters.

In a 2005 interview, Mickelson discussed his "grip it and rip it" philosophy on the greens. The American golfer shared insights into his game and how he approaches shots on the course. The 54-year-old also addressed whether hitting fairways was overrated. He said:

"No, it's certainly important. Don't get me wrong. It's not overrated, but I think distance is underrated right now. I think that you've got to move the ball out there."

2005 was an incredible year for Phil Mickelson. He won the FBR Open (Phoenix Open) for the second time in his career, registering an impressive five-shot victory over Scott McCarron and Kevin Na. Speaking about his success at the event, Mickelson said in 2005 (via The World Link):

"When I had sacrificed 15 yards last year, I knew that I needed to make a change. Ultimately, you saw the change in September. But I knew that I had to do that if I wanted to get back to being able to play at this level."

He went on to win four tournaments in 2005, including a Major at the PGA Championship. He also claimed victories at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the BellSouth Classic, and the FBR Open.

Notably, "grip it and rip it" is a widely popular philosophy among golfers. In golf, it refers to a fearless and aggressive approach to the game. As per GolferBuff.com:

"Implementing this philosophy can bring a new level of excitement and energy to your game, but it also requires precision and control to avoid costly mistakes."

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Exploring Phil Mickelson's performance in 2024

After enjoying a successful career on the PGA Tour, the American golfer made the switch to LIV Golf in 2022. He currently competes in the Saudi-backed league.

In 2024, on the LIV Golf circuit, Mickelson played in 13 tournaments and recorded some decent finishes. He was T6 at the Jeddah event, T22 at the Singapore event, and T23 in Chicago.

Here are the results of the tournaments Phil Mickelson played in 2024:

• 1. LIV Golf Mayakoba - T51
• 2. LIV Golf Las Vegas - T30
• 3. LIV Golf Jeddah: T6
• 4.LIV Golf Hong Kong- T52
• 5. LIV Golf Miami - 47
• 6. LIV Golf Adelaide - T38
• 7. LIV Golf Singapore- T22
• 8. LIV Golf Houston - T37
• 9. LIV Golf Nashville - T40
• 10. LIV Golf Andalucía- T27
• 11. LIV Golf United Kingdom- T34
• 12. LIV Golf Greenbrier" 50
• 13. LIV Golf Chicago" T23
• 14 LIV Golf Dallas - Stroke Pla - T48

Aside from regular LIV Golf events, Phil Mickelson also competed in the Majors in 2024. He played in all four Majors and made the cut in two. He finished T43 at the Masters and T16 at The Open.