August 13 International Left-Handers Day
About 10% of US Population Left-Handed
Mickelson 45 Wins, Batia Rising Star
August 13 is a special day. It is International Lefthanders Day. It is a day to recognize and unite over the challenges faced by left-handed people in a world designed for right-handers. There is even an official website for left-handers. About 10% of the U.S. population is left-handed. So, how many left-handed golfers have won on the PGA Tour? So far, there have been 17. Together, they have amassed a total of 86 wins.
Phil Mickelson is a left-handed golfer with a total of 45 career wins. However, he is right-handed in daily life. [Photo by Golfweek]
The leading left-handed golfer is Phil Mickelson (USA). He is the most outstanding and famous player. His nickname is Lefty. Especially in major tournaments, he has won a total of 6 titles: 3 Masters wins (2004, 2006, 2020), The Open Championship (2013), and 2 PGA Championships (2005, 2021). Born in June 1970, he became the oldest major champion at the 103rd PGA Championship in May 2021.
Mickelson needs only to win the U.S. Open, where he has finished runner-up six times, to complete the career Grand Slam by winning all four major championships. Only five players have achieved this record so far. He has won 45 PGA Tour events in total. He alone accounts for more than half of the 86 wins by left-handed golfers. He has earned over $92 million (about 125.6 billion KRW) in prize money on the PGA Tour.
Mickelson is a golf prodigy who picked up a golf club at 18 months old. Although right-handed, he plays left-handed. He became a left-handed golfer due to the "mirror effect" while playing golf facing his father, Jim Mickelson, a Navy pilot. Overshadowed by the "Golf Emperor" Tiger Woods (USA), he ironically lacked trophies. He has 38 runner-up finishes and 28 third-place finishes. Woods has accumulated 82 wins, including 15 major championships, the most in history.
The second-ranked left-hander is Bubba Watson (USA). He ranks second in wins and prize money. He is a two-time Masters champion, winning the green jacket in 2012 and 2014. He has won 12 PGA Tour events and earned $47 million in prize money. Currently, he plays alongside Mickelson in LIV Golf.
A recently notable left-handed golfer is Brian Harman (USA). He made history by winning the 151st Open Championship held at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in the UK in 2023. It was his first major victory and he became the third left-handed Open champion after Bob Charles (New Zealand) in 1963 and Mickelson in 2013. Harman joined the PGA Tour in 2012. Despite his small stature at 169 cm, he has collected three career wins.
Mike Weir is a veteran golfer representing Canada. He won the Masters in 2003, receiving the green jacket from the defending champion Woods. He was the first left-handed golfer to win a major championship in 40 years and the first to claim the top spot at Augusta National Golf Club. He has 8 PGA Tour wins and 1 PGA Tour Champions (senior) win.
Bob Charles was the first left-hander to win a major tournament. He brought home the silver Claret Jug by winning The Open in 1963. The same year, he became the first left-hander to win a PGA Tour event by winning the Houston Open. He has 6 PGA Tour wins and a total of 79 wins worldwide.
Aksai Batia, known for his trademark black horn-rimmed glasses, is a left-handed golfer who has been gaining attention since last year.
There is also the youngest left-handed golfer. This year, 22-year-old Indian-American Akshay Bhatia (USA). His trademark is a bushy beard and black horn-rimmed glasses. He was born in Northridge, a suburb of Los Angeles, California. He has a unique background, having dropped out of college at 17 and turning professional immediately after high school graduation. He won his first title at the Barracuda Championship in July last year and claimed his second victory at the Valero Texas Open last April.
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