At 50, Phil Mickelson is 18 holes away from completing a historic feat on the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. The veteran who has kept the head of the USPGA alone, will try to make history this Sunday, to win a sixth Major. He would then be the oldest player to win a Grand Slam tournament.

USPGA: Mickelson close to historic feat

USPGA: Mickelson close to historic feat

Phil Mickelson has been on a roll for three days at the Ocean Course on Kiawah Island, enough to lead - 7, 209 overall, the 103rd PGA Championship.

At 50 he is 18 holes away from a new coronation, the 6th in a major tournament, his first in nearly eight years. He would then become the oldest player in the world to achieve this feat, erasing from the shelves the record of the American Julius Boros, who had won the USPGA at 48, in 1968.

If the talent of the left-hander has been known for a long time, as evidenced by his five victories at the Augusta Masters (2004, 2006, 2010), the PGA Championship (2005) and the British Open (2013), it is consistency that seems to owe be the key to its success.

To win again, Lefty will however have to be wary of the competition ... and of his mentality, one of his main weaknesses.

The suspense remains nonetheless at its height on Kiawah Island (South Carolina). Because the American (-7) has a single shot ahead of his compatriot Brooks Koepka and two over the South African Louis Oosthuizen, with whom he shared the head of the tournament the day before.

Mickelson has spoken openly about the need to improve his focus to better compete. He meditates. He plays 36 holes, and sometimes 45, when he's at home in California, challenging himself to stay present with every shot. Just as he worked hard to get in shape, he also worked mentally, treating his brain like a muscle.

On Sunday, he would be well advised not to seek to see who is chasing him with Brooks Koepka, a man who, weeks after his 31st birthday, understood modern majors better than any of his peers. Koepka has won two PGA Championships (2018, 2019) and two US Open (2017, 2018) and is living for the big time. At -6 Koepka stands just one length behind Mickelson, bolstered by the confidence that he has won four of those major trophies since Mickelson's last victory.

Koepka won't tell you he's thrilled to be there with a photo on Sunday. Instead, he shrugged, because that's where he expects to be on all the biggest events. Arrogant? Somewhat. But he has the game and the record to make this speech.

“It feels good to be there. This is what I'm supposed to do, what I trained for, ”Koepka said. “I'm exactly where I want to be, and we'll see how tomorrow goes. Be within three shots of the header before the last nine holes, and you have a chance.

Another man with great experience, Louis Oosthuizen, the South African with a gentle swing, is also two strokes behind the leader. Oosthuizen won the British Open 2010 at the Old Course in St. Andrews and also stood out as a finalist in the last four majors. On Saturday, his usually reliable ball strike let him down and he had to scramble to finish in par (72). But he showed great consistency, and that can be a huge asset on Sunday.

“I think anyone with less than four or five strokes can still tell the difference,” said Oosthuizen, who concedes he will have to play better on Sunday to have a chance.

Sunday, he makes a new start. Koepka too. Phil Mickelson is 18 holes off a historic record. But behind him there are seasoned major players who will make him work for it.

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