Who is Phil Mickelson's swing coach?
US golfer Phil Mickelson is widely regarded as one of the best players. He has 45 PGA Tour wins and six major tournament titles to his name. The three-time Masters winner became the oldest golfer to win the PGA Championship at the age of 50 years, 11 months, and seven days in 2021. He was also the most expensive player to join the controversial LIV Golf series this year.
All athletes strive for perfection in their technique, especially in a sport like golf, where every move is highly technical. Focus is given to tend to each movement and stroke. So, it is natural that world-class golfers have different coaches to train and supervise different aspects of the game.
Mickelson has been coached by Australian Andrew Getson since 2015. Prior to becoming coach, Getson competed at the Asian, Australasian, and Nationwide tours.
Currently, Getson is an instructor at the Greyhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. Phil Mickelson had joined the same club after graduating from the University of Arizona in 1992.
The duo have been in a strong partnership for the last three years. Mickelson had his first victory under Getson at the 2018 WGC-Mexico Championship.
Andrew Getson and Phil Mickelson initially focused on improving the golfer's takeaway and backswing so that both were more upright and on plane, as opposed to pushing the club too far inward. This made him slightly straighter off the tee, a little less handsy, and a little shorter in the backswing.
Phil's last words before he left the range were to his coach, Andrew Gedson.
"Hey man, thank you for all your help. For everything."
One more deep breath, and off to the first tee.
Andrew Getson is based in Scottsdale, Arizona and hardly travels with Lefty to his tournaments. However, he is always there to extend the guidance and helping hand when Phil Mickelson visits him.
Getson has his own website with the tagline 'Learn how to simplify your golf swing' where he focuses on the basics.
Why did Phil Mickelson and Butch Harmon split?
Anyone who knows anything about golf, obviously knows who Butch Harmon is. Harmon is a legend in himself, having coached golfing greats such as Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, Ernie Els, and Phil Mickelson, among others.
Mickelson trained under Harmon for eight years from 2007 to 2015. Lefty later flew down to Las Vegas to have a face-to-face conversation with Harmon that he wanted to part ways.
While the partnership between Tiger Woods and Butch Harmon ended on a bitter note, the split between the legendary coach and Phil Mickelson appeared to be amicable. In fact, Harmon believed that Lefty dealt with the conversation in a "classy way".
Mickelson was of the thought that his coach deserved to have a face-to-face conversation about something so serious, personal, and difficult. Something Harmon appreciated.
Mickelson talked about why he chose to not do the discussion on the phone. He said:
"I respect him as a person and as a teacher and as a friend, and just wanted to talk to him in person about it. It’s not something you do over the phone. He’s been good to me long before we ever started working together. That stuff is never easy, but it’s what he deserves."
Harmon told Golf Digest in 2015 that Mickelson wanted to have a different perspective on things, something that Harmon himself agreed upon.
"We talked for about two hours. I completely agreed that sometimes you need to hear things a different way, get a different perspective on things. He’s been frustrated the last two years. I thought it was a good idea that he would do this. He needs to hear things differently that maybe get him rejuvenated and get him back to what we all know he can be."
The professional partnership between Phil Mickelson and Butch Harmon might have reached its end, but by Mickelson's own admission, Harmon will always be his friend outside the game.
"Butch is still and always will be one of my better friends. We’ve had to share the most difficult times in our lives. His wife was battling some health issues and we talked a lot about it. Amy went through cancer and we talked a lot about it. He and I were sounding boards for each other."
The duo might have split, but at least at the time, Mickelson didn't rule out the possibility of working together again.
"He couldn’t be more professional about it. He totally gets it. I wouldn’t rule out working together again."
Harmon now coaches world greats such as Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler.