Tour News

Mickelson splits with Butch Harmon, hires new swing coach

Published

8 years ago

Nov 5, 2015

Thirteen worldwide wins, including two major championships. That’s what Phil Mickelson accomplished under swing coach Butch Harmon in an eight-year stretch that produced two of the most important wins of Mickelson’s career — The Players Championship in 2007, and the Open Championship in 2013. After two seasons without a win, however, it was time to “hear new ideas from a different perspective,” Mickelson told Golf.com.

According to Golf Digest, Mickelson flew to Las Vegas last week to meet with Harmon to inform him of his decision, which Harmon thought was a “good idea.”

“We talked for about two hours,” Harmon told Golf Digest. “I completely agreed that sometimes you need to hear things a different way, get a different perspective on things. He’s been frustrated the last two years.”

According to Golf Digest, Mickelson has hired Andrew Getson, a 41-year-old Australian golf instructor from Greyhwawk Country Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., to be his new swing coach. Getson played professionally in Asia, Australia and on the Web.com Tour for 10 years before turning to golf instruction full time, according to his website. He has also coached PGA Tour player Kevin Streelman.

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11 Comments

glenh

Nov 11, 2015 at 6:17 pm

I think this is a bad move. Look what happened to Tiger when he left Butch Harmon. Hank Haney admitted in his book about Tiger, The Big Miss, that he did very little with Tiger’s swing and Sean Foley really screwed Tiger up. Phil is getting older; he has a psoariatic arthritis (nasty disease) and the young guns on Tour are not intimidated by Phil, Tiger or any of the older players. Phil is still striking the ball well. He needs a new putting coach. He misses way too many short 3 and 4 footers. I will be pleasantly surprised if Phil does any better with his new coach.

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golfraven

Nov 7, 2015 at 3:41 pm

Must be difficult to compete against all those young guns who are at least 15 years younger, fit and with a total game. Phis is a top player but to win he needs his best game and everything going for him on weekends. Still he should win 1 or 2 bigger tournaments and maybe another major. His chances are better then Tiger’s.

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KK

Nov 6, 2015 at 7:00 pm

People who think golfers should just rely on themselves are completely naive about reality. Phil vs Phil, Butch and Stevie– who do you think wins more majors? You think you can raise kids better by yourself than with a competent spouse? Come on, fellas.

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- Bo Didly
  
  Nov 7, 2015 at 11:17 pm
  
  Not a good analogy at all buddy. When they were junior golfers kicking all the other juniors butts they didn’t have swing coaches (I know they had teachers but those guys were pure fundamentalist, just focusing grip, stance, posture etc….). Your wrong, they just need to get back to basics and focus on digging it out of the dirt….practice practice practice……..Phil has better things to do now like spend time with his kids and wife…..spend money…..have fun……..No new coach with some fancy swing instruction is going to dig it out of the dirt for him………..
  
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Steve Wozeniak PGA

Nov 6, 2015 at 11:54 am

Phil got tired of hearing the same thing over and over again, year after year……which happened to be correct……the only “new” stuff he will get from his new “coach” will be wrong, that’s why he didn’t get if from Butch……

Getting older and not making as many putts happens to us all…..it’s a B…..tch!!!!!

http://www.stevewozeniak.com

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Bo Didly

Nov 5, 2015 at 11:25 pm

I think these golfers at this level like Mick and Woods should just learn to rely on themselves versus turning to people that haven’t had an inkling of the success they have. I bet Woods and Mick know more about the swing than most “teachers”, period. And, they surely know more about their own swings, feel, tendencies…etc…..

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Joe

Nov 5, 2015 at 3:55 pm

Not a big deal. It is a business, not a marriage for a life time.

They will both survive.

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- david
  
  Nov 6, 2015 at 2:40 am
  
  Spot on Joe I just couldn’t agree more.
  
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larrybud

Nov 5, 2015 at 3:05 pm

Let the “Tiger is going back to Butch” rumors begin!!!

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alexdub

Nov 5, 2015 at 11:05 am

IMO he is one of the top golfers of all time, but as he has gotten older, all he seems to be doing in spinning the tires. I think he’ll find a few more wins out there, but the man has to stop fiddling with the lead tape.

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Steve

Nov 5, 2015 at 8:56 am

Good to see he still has passion

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