Phil Mickelson shoots 11-over, misses cut at U.S. Open: "Wish I had played better"

BROOKLINE -- Phil Mickelson arrived at The Country Club this week as the center of attention. He'd end up leaving before the weekend even arrived.

Fresh off a 33rd-place finish in his debut LIV event last week, Mickelson shot a an 8-over 78 on Thursday and a 3-over 73 on Friday to finish at plus-11 for the tournament. With the projected cut line around plus-5 when he finished, Mickelson knew his tournament was over fairly early during his round on Friday.

Mickelson's week began with a tense press conference on Monday, but he was well-received by the fans in attendance throughout the week. While he may not have appreciated some of the questions directed to him on Monday afternoon, the 52-year-old did enjoy being around the fans after a four-month break from golf on U.S. soil.

"The fans here have always been terrific," Mickelson said after his Friday round, in comments distributed by the USGA. "And they really support all sports. And I love it when we bring golf here because they create a really special atmosphere."

Mickelson finished the tournament with just three birdies, with 10 bogeys and a pair of double-bogeys. He didn't have much of an explanation for his play.

"I don't know. I enjoyed the week. Wish I had played better," he said.

The U.S. Open, of course, remains the one major which Mickelson has never won, having finished in second place six times, most recently in 2013. His showing on the course this week and his current standing in the world of professional golf would strongly suggest that any hope of completing the career grand slam may be extinguished for good.