Mickelson said in a statement on Wednesday to Golf.com that he has learned a great deal from Harmon since they began working together in 2007.
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“I respect him as a person and as a teacher and as a friend, and just wanted to talk to him in person about it”, Mickelson said. “It’s just that at the moment I need to hear new ideas from a different perspective”.
Mickelson won the 2010 Masters and 2013 Open Championship under Harmon, but the victory at Muirfield is his last to date and the 45-year-old has recorded just five top-10 finishes since.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with Phil and we’ve had great success together”, he said in a statement.
Mickelson has struggled since his last major win in 2013.
Happier times for Phil Mickelson and Butch Harmon. His short game will always be there to assist in keeping his scores low, but as distance wanes, Mickelson will have to figure out a way to keep up with today’s generation crushing the ball miles off the tee.
Mickelson has gone through a rough patch, for him, in the past two years.
Harmon was Greg Norman’s instructor when the Shark went to No. 1 and he was with Tiger Woods from his amateur days through 2002, overseeing a swing change that saw Woods win seven of 11 majors and eight in all on Harmon’s watch.
He helped place Mickelson firmly in that Hall of Fame.
Mickelson mentioned Harmon in nearly every pre-tournament press conference I’ve ever seen.
Letting go of Harmon probably is a good move for Mickelson at this point in his career. He needs every edge (or even perceived edge) he can possibly get.
Harmon coaches a number of leading players on the PGA Tour, including Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson.
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His father, Claude Sr., won the Masters in 1948 and Harmon was a tour victor himself in a brief career before he began teaching.
