If his 8-over 79 on Thursday was not enough to cement that Phil Mickelson would not be in contention at the 2017 PGA Championship, his 3-over 74 on Friday solidified it. Though the cut has not officially been announced at Quail Hollow, Mickelson will miss it after shooting 11 over for his 36 holes in Charlotte, North Carolina, this week.

It will be Mickelson's second missed cut at the PGA Championship and first since 1995 -- the third year he played the event. He has won the major once (2005) and finished in the top 10 on eight other occasions.

Furthermore, his career record at Quail Hollow has been impeccable. Mickelson trails only Rory McIlroy in career scoring average here.

The 2017 major season has been unkind to Mickelson, who finished T22 at the Masters, was unable to play the U.S. Open due to a schedule conflict with his daughter's graduation and also missed the cut at the British Open.

It is the second straight year -- and third time in his career -- that he has missed the cut at two majors in a single season. It's the first time since 1993 -- his second year as a professional -- when he did not play a major Saturday three times in a season.

Mickelson went birdie-free Thursday with eight bogeys -- four on each side. Friday, he started with three bogeys on the front nine and couldn't save it coming home despite three birdies at the end. At 11 over, Mickelson will miss the cut (expected to be at 4 over) by several shots.

Lefty lamented his performance after the round, but he also noted that this Quail Hollow course is not the same one where he has found so much success in his career. It's playing much faster and much firmer than it normally does at the Wells Fargo Championship. That was not a good combination for Mickelson, who finished outside the top 100 in strokes gained around the green and with the putter.

"It's a more not controlling my thoughts," Mickelson said. "So if I have a short putt, it's not a technical issue, I'll just not seeing the ball go in and staying committed. I'm just losing focus on every shot. I have a week to work on it and see if I can get it dialed in.

"I don't feel like I did two years ago where I'm searching for my game or I'm trying to find it or trying to strike it well. I have great practice sessions. Drove it fine. Just not real focused when I'm out there."

So it's off to the FedEx Cup playoffs for the 47-year-old as the PGA Tour season winds down. For a surprisingly consistent season, it has also contained a series of firsts for him. First missed U.S. Open since 1993. First missed cut at the British Open since he won in 2013. First missed PGA Championship weekend since 1995.

Careers don't last forever of course, and this week was a reminder that Mickelson's is winding down. He's far from cooked, but a bad missed cut at a course and tournament he normally plays well at is not a great harbinger for the future. Mickelson will continue to thrill in spurts for a long time, but probably not at the highest level for a long time in the biggest events like he always has.