Nicklaus with his record 18 professional major titles, won three in a row, but never completed a “Bear Slam.”

Again, we’re talking legends here, something Mickelson doesn’t dwell on. But if he wins the U.S. at Winged Foot in June, he’ll have the hat trick and no choice but to ponder it.

“Well, let’s settle down Grand Slam talk and stuff,” Mickelson said. “To hold — well, you call it the Tiger Slam — to hold all four majors, incredible. That’s just one of the most incredible feats in the game; that, and Bobby Jones’ Grand Slam, and Ben Hogan in ‘53 winning three of the four, are probably the greatest feats in golf.”

Fair enough, but if you’re a betting man, who do you like at Winged Foot? The last time the major league golf came calling was 1997, when the club played host to the PGA Championship. Mickelson slapped a pair of 69s on the board to open the tournament and get right in the thick of things.

He finished with 73-75 on the weekend and tied for 29th, a spot he shared with one Eldrick Woods.

But that was the old Phil, the incorrigible Phil, the unpredictable Phil the Pill. The modern day Mickelson is a different animal altogether.

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“Starting tomorrow, we’ll start preparing for Winged Foot,” Mickelson said on Sunday. “It just is a fun event, the four majors, to look forward to and try to prepare my best and to play my best.

“I don’t think about, ultimately, you know, leaving a legacy, if you will. I just try to play well and compete and hopefully win as many as I can. It’s nice that I at least started, because two years ago I wasn’t, and now I’ve got a nice little start.”

It is not difficult to see Mickelson extending the “Phil Slam” past Winged Foot. But the final leg of the foursome represents a more formidable hill to climb. Mickelson’s record in the British Open leaves something to be desired. Still, he has had his moments, including a third-place finish in 2004 at Royal Troon.

What’s more, this British Open represents a clean slate, anybody’s ballgame. The Royal and Ancient takes its party to Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England come July. The last time the Open Championship was held at Hoylake was 1967, or before the current crop of players was even born.

So, who is to say when this Incredible Journey will end, who is to say there can’t be a “Phil Slam?” At this point, where Mickelson is concerned, anything seems possible.

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“He hits the ball I think much better (than he used to,” Couples said. “He gets it around the golf course. I mean, (Augusta National) is a pretty good course. Last week what he did (at the BellSouth) was incredible, and then coming in here, to shoot the scores that he did, extremely consistent on a very tough course. He works hard and he’s got a great short game.

“But yeah, easy. He’s a much better player than he was five years ago or whenever he first started winning these majors.”

Who is to say when he will stop?

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