Golfing great Phil Mickelson now in the Hall of Fame

Mickelson at Muirfield Village-Flickr-Ed (supergolfdude)

Golfer Phil Mickelson was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame on May 6th 2012. His astounding career includes three Masters, two World Golf Championships, a PGA Championship, and a total of 42 wins.

But his career is more than that. Mickelson is intensely popular among fans for his charisma and engaging personality. He spends hours signing autographs and greeting his fans before matches.

The Hall of Fame Committee, aside from his exceptional record, cited his role model behavior, good image, and devotion as reasons for the induction. As PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said at the induction ceremony, “ …you've never seen Phil Mickelson on or off the golf course that he wasn't showing the proper professionalism and comportment that you want to see in any athlete.”

Mickelson's family has been an important part of his success. He learned to play golf from his father, and has continued to draw inspiration from his family. Mickelson cherishes the personal memories he has gained throughout his career. Speaking to Bleacher Report about his first Masters Championship, Mickelson said, “What I remember about that Masters was that blond curly hair, the binky in her mouth, the two year old Sophia waving to the camera as CBS panned out from the scorer's tent”.

Mickelson is a truly outstanding athlete, as a golfer, as a role model and as a person. He may now be a Hall of Fame inductee, but the ambitious athlete’s career is not over. He is expected to play in the upcoming Players Championship, and says he plans to win a US and British Open before retirement.