Tisha Alyn Breaks Silence On Her Unexpected Phil Mickelson Encounter At The Open

Tisha Alyn never expected Phil Mickelson to walk up to her during the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush. The golf personality had already been messaging Mickelson but was unsure if she was really speaking to him. Then, while covering the tournament, she spotted him near the tee box. What happened next left Alyn stunned and gave her a memorable glimpse of Mickelson before the major changes that later shaped his career.

Tisha Alyn Reveals Phil Mickelson's Unexpected 2019 Open Encounter

Tisha Alyn has brought back a surprising Phil Mickelson memory from the 2019 Open Championship. Mickelson was struggling at Royal Portrush and heading toward a missed cut when he spotted Alyn on the sidelines. Instead of walking past, he changed direction and went straight toward her.

Alyn said she and Mickelson had already exchanged a few direct messages before the tournament, with the golfer telling her that he liked her work. She was unsure whether it was really Mickelson, so she waited near the tee box while recording. When he noticed her, he walked over, hugged her and said, “It's nice meeting you in real life. You're crushing the internet.”

The meeting stood out even more because Mickelson was having a difficult week. He opened with a 76 and followed it with a 74 to finish at 8-over and miss the cut. The Open's official records confirm that result. Alyn later described the meeting as “just so surreal,” before recalling how highly she viewed Mickelson at that time.

Phil Mickelson's Career Took A Very Different Turn After That Open

That brief meeting came before one of the biggest changes in Mickelson's career. Two years later, he won the 2021 PGA Championship at age 50, becoming the oldest major champion, before joining LIV Golf. His career and public image have since moved far away from the period Alyn remembered.

In 2026, Mickelson has played only once competitively, finishing tied for 48th at LIV Golf's South Africa event. He also missed all four majors, with Golf Digest reporting that his Open withdrawal followed a family health matter. Separate reports have also covered misconduct allegations involving Mickelson, which his representatives have disputed.

That makes Alyn's old memory stand out for another reason. It captures a small moment from Mickelson's career before LIV and before the issues that later changed how many people viewed him. For Alyn, it remains a positive meeting with a player she once saw as a golfing superhero.

Nick Faldo, meanwhile, has offered a very different view of Mickelson's LIV chapter. Speaking about LIV's claims of “growing the game,” Faldo pointed to his own junior golf work and said, “That is growing the game of golf, not just bowling up in Hong Kong once.”

The contrast makes Alyn's story more than just an old golf memory. It shows how differently Mickelson can be remembered depending on which part of his career people focus on, from the player Alyn met at Royal Portrush to the controversial figure he has become in recent years.