Callaway Golf is offering a contest that could have fans paying close attention to Phil Mickelson’s haul next month at the U.S. Open.
The equipment manufacturer launched the “Big Big Bertha Payday Sweepstakes” Thursday, through which one contest winner will receive the equivalent of Mickelson’s on-course earnings at Pinehurst No. 2.
Mickelson will look to complete the career grand slam at Pinehurst, and his U.S. Open payday has exceeded $100,000 eight times since 1999. Last year, Lefty took home $696,104 for his second-place finish behind Justin Rose at Merion. Rose received $1.44 million for his victory, and the contest caps out the top prize at $1.5 million should Mickelson capture his sixth career major title.
To enter, fans must head to a participating retailer between May 22 and June 15 - the final round of the U.S. Open - and demo the new Callaway Big Bertha driver. After the demo, they will receive a code to sign up for the sweepstakes online, and one grand prize winner will be selected on June 16, with a second-place winner receiving a Callaway driver autographed by Mickelson.
Should Mickelson struggle at Pinehurst, the contest winner will not be left empty-handed. If Mickelson misses the cut - which he has done only once at the U.S. Open since 1993 - the winner will receive the equivalent of the last-place finisher’s earnings. Last year, Kyle Stanley finished 73rd out of 73 players to make the cut at Merion and netted $16,253.
While Mickelson was a runner-up earlier this year on the European Tour, he has struggled on the PGA Tour, with a T-11 finish at the Wells Fargo Championship his best result of the 2013-14 season. Mickelson missed the cut at The Players Championship in his most recent start.