Phil Mickelson explains rough US Open performance: ‘I thought I was more prepared than I was’

Phil Mickelson missed the U.S. Open cut on Friday as he attempted to pursue the only major tournament he hasn’t won over his career.

Mickelson finished toward the bottom of the leaderboard after the first two rounds. He shot a 151. The cut line was projected to be 2-over-140. He told Golf Week after Friday’s round he thought he was going to do better than he did.

“I thought I was more prepared than I was. The U.S. Open is the ultimate test. And you don’t really know where your game is until you get tested, and I thought I was little bit closer than I was,” he said.

Mickelson said he could pin his problems on putting.

CHARLES BARKLEY WOULD ‘KILL A RELATIVE’ FOR $200 MILLION LIV GOLF PAYDAY

“I really struggled with putting. I’m struggling with the putter, last week and this week,” he added.

On Thursday, Mickelson finished with a 78. He had five bogeys, two double bogeys and one birdie in the fist round. On Friday, he shot a 73, but it wasn’t good enough to push him past the cut line. He finished with two birdies and five bogeys.

Mickelson was coming off the first LIV Golf event, in which he played 54 holes and was 11-over for the tournament in London.

The next LIV Golf event is set for Portland, Oregon. It will be LIV Golf’s first U.S. Tournament and it will run from June 30 to July 2 at Pumpkin Ridge.