Kevin Kisner once revealed Phil Mickelson's bizarre reason for choosing Him at the 2017 Presidents Cup

Jul 28, 2026, 11:14 PM CUT

Joburg Open Phil Mickelson Hyflyers GC on the 8th tee during the 1st round of LIV Golf Singapore presented by Aramco, Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore. 14/03/2025. Picture Steven Flynn / Golffile.ie All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Steven Flynn Copyright: xStevenxFlynnx *EDI*

Against his wishes, four-time PGA Tour winner Kevin Kisner had to pair up with veteran Phil Mickelson at the 2017 Presidents Cup. Interestingly, they turned out to be an invincible duo, and the Lefty's astrologer deserves applause.

As stated on the Fore Play Podcast, Kisner was avoiding a pair-up with Mickelson. However, as the veteran, the Lefty got what he wished for through the Team USA captain Steve Stricker.

“And he’s [Phil Mickelson] like, ‘Look, Kiz, I can feed off your energy. So, you get your energy from your belly. So, every time I hit a shot, I want you to face me with your belly,” Kisner said.

September 26, 2025, Farmingdale, Ny, United States: FARMINGDALE, NY - SEPTEMBER 26: Kevin Kisner United States Vice Captain walks to the tee box on hole 10 during the Ryder Cup - Afternoon Fourball Matches at Bethpage Black Golf Course on September 26, 2025 in Farmingdale, NY. Farmingdale United States - ZUMAt139 20250926_aaa_t139_019 Copyright: xAlxChang/IsixPhotosx

“And so we go down there, and he’s like, ‘And when I hit, I want you to stand on the other side of the ball and face me with your belly.’ For three matches, we played three matches together. We never lost," Kisner added on the Fore Play Podcast (YouTube).

According to Mickelson's astrologer, Kisner was the only one having an "A+ energy level" on both teams.

On the other hand, Australia's Jason Day and Marc Leishman had the lowest energy levels.

As a result, the astrologer wanted Mickelson and Kisner to take on the Aussie duo. That's exactly what happened.

“Yeah. I stood, so like I was moving people on tee boxes cuz you can see this on camera. So if he was teeing off from here, I would have to go stand by this tee marker," Kisner added. "And he was like, ‘It even helps if you stick your belly out.’ I’m sticking my belly out at Phil Mickelson. And man, he played unbelievable.”

Mickelson has a reputation for being overly emotional. That was one of the reasons why Kisner wasn’t looking forward to playing with the veteran.

However, Mickelson's astrologer's advice worked out, and the pair did not lose a single match in the competition.

Over the years, the veteran has faded away in the competitive scene, and for the first time in his career, the Lefty has missed a major season this year.

Phil Mickelson misses a major season for the first time

Mickelson has cited a family-related issue as the reason for his withdrawals from the majors throughout the season.

"Unfortunately, I will not play in the Masters Tournament next week and will be out for an extended period of time as my family continues to navigate a personal health matter," Mickelson said in a statement shared on X.

The Lefty withdrew from the PGA Championship due to the same reason. As for the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, the 56-year-old failed to qualify.

Mickelson had initially entered the field at Royal Birkdale for the Open Championship but opted out ahead of it “to attend to a family health matter,” as per one of his spokespersons.

What are your thoughts on the way of Phil Mickelson’s selection of Kevin Kisner? Share them in the comments.

Written by

Avishek Sarkar

Edited by

Rudra Dubey