Defiant Phil Mickelson is refusing to give up on the US Open and believes he can earn more opportunities to find the elusive missing piece in his Major jigsaw. The LIV Golf star made his way out of Oakmont a fortnight ago after missing the cut with many believing his 34th appearance would be his last. Mickelson has won the Masters three times, he鈥檚 twice won the PGA Championship and secured an Open at Muirfield a dozen years ago. However, despite six runner-up finishes, the US Open has eluded Lefty in career and, at the age of 55, his chances look virtually gone. Mickelson鈥檚 latest exemption to the event for winning the 2021 PGA has expired and he鈥檒l have to qualify in the future, starting at Shinnecock Hills in 2026. But the US icon, who will be at Royal Portrush next month for the 153rd Championship as a past winner, isn鈥檛 giving it up on being back for a 35th try and beyond. The door is closing, but it’s not locked as, ahead of this week鈥檚 LIV event in Dallas, he said: 鈥淪o I said it鈥檚 very possibly my last and I think that鈥檚 real. However, I also feel like I鈥檓 starting to play some good golf. This year has been my best year on LIV. I鈥檝e had three top-six finishes and some opportunities to win. If I play like that in some upcoming Major championships, that could ultimately qualify me into another US Open. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to say it鈥檚 my last. I actually think I鈥檓 playing well enough that, if I can play at the level I鈥檝e played at out here in Majors again, I鈥檒l finish high enough to get into a US Open via that qualifying avenue. So I don鈥檛 want to say that it is my last because I think I鈥檓 going to contend. I鈥檓 in the other three majors for a lot of years and it could very well get me into the US Open again.鈥 Mickelson, meanwhile, has spoken out on the growing popularity of YouTube golf and the way it is being embraced by himself and his peers, such as Bryson DeChambeau, on LIV Golf. He said: 鈥淚n professional golf, you can鈥檛 banter like this and have fun with it because there鈥檚 kind of this edge or line that you lose. You just can鈥檛 have fun like this because I don鈥檛 know how to say it, but there鈥檚 a point where it kind of crosses a line, but in YouTube golf that line is totally different because we鈥檙e here to have fun and a big part of the competition is the banter. 鈥淲hen people, guys, women, go out and play on the weekends and they鈥檙e with their buddies and they鈥檙e talking and chirping, that鈥檚 what they can relate to. That鈥檚 exactly what they do with their friends at home and they see that on YouTube. That鈥檚 what I think makes YouTube golf so fun is this interaction here because we can say things that you wouldn鈥檛 say in an intention professional competition.鈥