MICKELSON VICTORIOUS; RYDER CUP STANDINGS THROUGH THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

Phil Mickelson is no stranger to setting records.

Most Ryder Cup appearances, most Ryder Cup fourball victories – in fact, he still holds the record as the last amateur to win on TOUR, dating back to his 1991 victory in Tucson as a then-Arizona State student.

This week, Mickelson added one more record to his ledger - oldest major champion in history. With a masterful performance on one of the Ryder Cup's most beloved venues, the 50-year-old claimed the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island's Ocean Course, adding yet another chapter to his entry in the annals of golf history.

With the win, Mickelson puts himself squarely into Ryder Cup consideration, opening the door to yet another record-breaking possibility. Raymond Floyd holds the current record for oldest player to participate in a Ryder Cup at 51 Years, 20 Days (1993); with a spot on the team, Mickelson would clock in at 51 years, 3 months, 8 days when the Ryder Cup tees off later this year at Whistling Straits.

While his win moves him from 52^nd to 16^th in the U.S. Team Ranking, one has to think Mickelson’s played himself onto Captain Stricker’s radar, should he ever have fallen off of it in the first place.

Also on the Captain’s radar? A flurry of strong U.S. play this week at Kiawah. From practice rounds with young talent on the rise (Will Zalatoris, who again impressed with yet another top-10 finish to move himself up from 19^th to 18^th this week), to a slew of big names atop of the leaderboard, it was a picture-perfect showcase for the talent the U.S. Team hopes to bring to Kohler this fall.

Notable movers this week include Brooks Koepka, whose T2 finish moved him from 6^th to 4^th, as well as Rickie Fowler (up 12 spots) and Harry Higgs (up 20 spots) who moved to 39^th and 42^nd, respectively.

Not to be outdone, Captain Stricker himself logged a strong week at Kiawah – making the cut before finishing T44 – a feat he hopes to best as he tees it up this week at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in Tulsa. Ryder Cup Europe’s Captain Harrington also led by example, spearheading a strong European contingent with a T4 finish, his highest in a major championship since 2012.

For a full list of the Top 100 in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings, click here. The points system for this year's American team will include the top six point earners securing spots and the remaining six will be selected by Captain Stricker following the 2021 TOUR Championship.