At LIV Virginia, 54-year-old Phil Mickelson turned back the clock. Lefty has struggled since his switch to LIV Golf, looking well past his prime both on the upstart tour and in his subsequent major appearances, but during the final round at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club on Sunday, Mickelson proved there’s still magic in his hands with a wild side-hill chip-in that stopped the Internet in its tracks. If you somehow haven’t seen it a million times already, check it out.

Social media was quick to dub Mickelson’s ingenious flop shot “vintage,” “genius” and a host of other superlatives, but did what his fellow pros think of it? Bryson DeChambeau, playing in the same group as Mickelson at the time of the chip-in, offered his thoughts following the round. In typical Bryson fashion, he didn’t hold back, calling it “one of the greatest shots he’s ever seen.” That’s a bold claim, but hear him out …

Pretty high praise from a guy who’s hit a few GOATed shots of his own over the years (his sand save on the 72nd hole of last year’s U.S. Open comes to mind). But coming from a guy who regularly makes holes-in-one over his house and has been at this pro golf thing for nearly a decade, well, it’s tough to dispute. First of all, it’s an expert opinion—DeChambeau saw the lie and stance with his own two eyes and knew first-hand what Phil was up against. Second of all, well, just watch it again. The stakes leave a lot to be desired, but in terms of pure creativity, commitment and execution, it’s up there with the best short game wizardry we’ve ever seen.

In other words, it’s just Phil being Phil. We’re not sure how much longer we’ll get to enjoy shots like these from Lefty, so our advice is to savour them while you can.

MORE: Phil Mickelson says there’s a ‘high likelihood’ Oakmont could be his last U.S. Open

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Main Image: LIV Golf