Butch Harmon is now Tiger Woods’ and Phil Mickelson’s former coach

Phil Mickelson and Butch Harmon will remain friends despite the five-time major champion’s decision to move on from his long-time swing coach.

Harmon, who famously parted ways with Tiger Woods in 2002, had been Lefty’s advisor since 2007 -- a span during which Mickelson won the 2010 Masters and 2013 Open Championship.

“I’ve learned a great deal from him in our eight years together,” Mickelson said in a statement to Golf.com. “It’s just that at the moment I need to hear new ideas from a different perspective.”

In addition to earning those majors under Harmon’s watch, Mickelson won 10 other PGA Tour titles, including the 2007 Players Championship a month after leaving Rick Smith to team up with Butch. The 45-year-old Californian has scuffled since capturing his first British Open victory two years ago and is in the midst of a long winless drought.

Though he played with renewed vigor during the recent Presidents Cup as a captain’s pick, Mickelson has dropped from the upper echelon of players to No. 25 in the world rankings -- thanks to cracking the top 10 in just five tour events since his Open triumph.

“I respect him as a person and a teacher and as a friend, and just wanted to talk to him in person about it,” Mickelson, who flew to Las Vegas to meet with Harmon, told Golf Digest’s Tim Rosaforte about the split. “It’s not something you do over the phone. He’s been good to me long before we ever started working together. That stuff is never easy, but it’s what he deserves.”

Harmon, for his part, said he understood the dynamics that led to the conscious uncoupling.

“I completely agreed that sometimes you need to hear things a different way, get a different perspective on things,” said Harmon. “He’s been frustrated the last two years. I thought it was a good idea that he would do this. He needs to hear things differently that maybe get him rejuvenated and get him back to what we all know he can be.”

What’s next for Mickelson is unclear, though he told Rosaforte he was considering a specific person but was not yet ready to go public with the name. Golf Digest reported the new guy could be Andrew Getson, instructor at Grayhawk Golf Club, a course Phil is quite familiar with since his days at Arizona State and as one of the track’s first “ambassadors.”

Getson, at Grayhawk since 2009, played professionally on the Asian, Australasian, and Nationwide Tours, according to his website. Immediate attempts to contact Getson were unsuccessful, though Grayhawk assistant pro Anthony Spiridigloizzi told SB Nation by phone on Thursday that “he had no news” on Getson’s new gig.

Mickelson also said that he would likely continue to seek counsel from Harmon, with whom he could even strike up a player-coach relationship in the future.

“I’m not sure if it’s going to work out or what I’m going to do exactly,” Mickelson said. “Butch is still going to help me in the sense I’m going to run some ideas by him. After a while things just don’t resonate and I needed to hear something new ... I wouldn’t rule out working together again.”

Mickelson and Harmon, who continues to tutor Rickie Fowler, among others, parted friends and intend to maintain that bond.

“I gave him a hug and told him I hope it works out for him,” Harmon said. “I want the best for Phil.”

Harmon was with Woods from 1997 to 2002, during which time Tiger won eight grand slam events.