“So well deserved”: Phil Mickelson celebrates as Rory McIlroy’s ‘Ultimate pro’ golfer gets inducted into the Hall of Fame

Rory McIlroy gave a special shoutout to Padraig Harrington for being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, and Phil Mickelson echoed that sentiment. McIlroy gave Harrington credit for paving the way for more Irish golfers like himself to make it into pro golf.

Padraig Harrington has been playing golf since turning pro in 1995 and has 39 professional wins. That includes six on the PGA Tour and three Major wins: the 2008 PGA Championship, and both the 2007 and 2008 Open Championship.

Rory Mcllroy praised Harrington in a promotional video shared on X:

“He really kick-started this whole Irish golf movement. Padraig was the one that made us all believe we could do it. He's the ultimate pro,” Mcllroy said.

Phil Mickelson, who is pretty active on social media, saw the post and shared his own response. The golfer likes to give his opinion on a wide variety of topics on X and decided to chime in on the former PGA Champion's induction into the Hall of Fame.

He shared McIlroy's praise and wrote:

"That is awesome and so well deserved. Congrats Padraig on your spectacular career!"

Padraig Harrington will officially be inducted on June 10, 2024.

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Padraig Harrington echoes Rory McIlroy's call for unity

Rory McIlroy and Padraig Harrington together

A soon-to-be Hall of Famer, Padraig Harrington became the latest to chime in on the chasm in golf and the PGA Tour LIV Golf debate. He credited Bryson DeChambeau's incredible run at the PGA Championship, claiming that the sport misses him competing against top PGA Tour players. He added (via Golf Digest):

"We miss those guys. I think, it's hard to believe we miss Patrick Reed, that's just the way it is."

Harrington didn't stop at expressing that sentiment, one that Rory McIlroy has adopted as the PIF merger churns toward a resolution. McIlroy believes golf should be global and that there should be a path back. Harrington said:

"I would have at least the two tours and have some crossover like we did back in the day. Everybody's got a bit of a chip on their shoulder, a certain amount of players can come and go back and forth. A few invites, something like that."

This is something many golfers have said, and a lot of them, including the once-vehemently opposed Rory McIlroy, just want to see a resolution soon.