Move over, Rory McIlroy: 2025 US Open brings ‘forgotten’ Grand Slam back into focus

Rory McIlroy has dominated golf headlines in recent months after finally completing the career Grand Slam at the 2025 Masters. After 10 previous tries, the Northern Irishman broke through at Augusta, adding to his past major victories at the U.S. Open, PGA Championship, and British Open.

He became just the sixth male golfer in history to win all four majors in the modern era, joining legends like Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. It’s one of the sport’s rarest milestones - but incredibly, a seventh member could be added to that elite club at the 2025 U.S. Open this week.

Which golfer can complete the career Grand Slam at 2025 U.S. Open?

Enter Phil Mickelson.

That’s right, Phil Mickelson - the six-time major winner who’s been chasing golf’s ultimate prize for more than two decades. The only major ‘Lefty’ has never won? The U.S. Open.

He’s come heartbreakingly close, finishing second an astonishing six times, most recently in 2013 - the same year he won his first (and only) Open Championship to keep the Grand Slam dream alive. That same summer was also the last time he seriously contended at the U.S. Open.

Odds stacked against Mickelson at Oakmont

Since then, Mickelson, now playing on the LIV Golf tour, has managed just five top-10 finishes in majors. At 54 years old, and with Oakmont’s brutal setup looming, you might argue it would take a minor miracle to see him lift the trophy. Yet would it really be more shocking than what he pulled off in 2021, when he became golf’s oldest major champion by winning the PGA Championship at 50?

Mickelson’s Grand Slam hopes may be a long shot, but as Oakmont beckons, the storyline is impossible to ignore. Stranger things have happened in sport.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.