One of the leading players of his generation, Phil Mickelson has inevitably played for the last few years in the shadow of one of the all-time greats in Tiger Woods, but remains capable of producing golf of a staggeringly high quality and has a fearsome competitive streak, illustrated by his seven from 10 record in play-offs.

Mickelson, nicknamed 'Lefty' for his left-handed swing, has won three Major championships and a total of 36 PGA Tour events, enjoying his breakthrough when winning the 1991 Northern Telecom Open when still an amateur.

Phil Mickelson went on to win a number of leading Tour events before, to much relief, losing the tag of "the best player never to win a Major" when winning the 2004 Masters, holing an 18-foot birdie putt on the final hole.

Phil Mickelson's third Major victory, in the 2006 Masters, pushed him up to second for the first time in the official world golf rankings, a position he still held at the start of the 2009 season.

Having lost 20lb as a result of a new fitness regime, a more slimline Phil Mickelson has emerged of late, and despite his occasionally wayward driving, his sublime iron play will always make him a hard opponent.

His lack of popularity among his peers is renowned, but though Phil Mickelson might lack the celebrity sparkle of some of them, he is an outstanding golfer who has spent well over 500 weeks in the world's top 10 and in nearly any other period he would be an outstanding world number one.