Whether you like golf or not, Phil Mickelson is a likable kind of guy. I love how he’s willing to take the risky shot from behind a tree that everybody else would be afraid to take. He’s not scared to fire a 4-iron at a pin that’s tucked into the back corner of a green guarded by bunkers and water. Instead of playing it safe, he’ll flop a wedge from a buried lie in the trap to a pin position that’s running away from him on a green that is slicker than putting in your bathtub. Though it is that same “grip it and rip it” attitude that costs him championship titles, you’ve got to love his win-at-all-costs attitude.
What I also respect about Phil is his devotion to his family off of the course. I remember the 1999 US Open. His wife, Amy, was pregnant and was due any day. He was fighting for the lead (and this would be his first Major win, so this tournament was really important to him) with Payne Stewart, but the tournament wasn’t of first importance. Of first importance was his wife and soon-to-be-born daughter. So he carried a pager with him all week, ready to walk off the course the instant he received the page from his wife.
Now, nearly 10 years later, Amy has been diagnosed with breast cancer. So what is Phil to do? Continue traveling with the PGA tour? Pour more and more hours into his job to avoid the difficulties of home? No. Phil is taking time off to be with his wife and family (granted, Phil has more money than most, and so has the freedom to take time off and still financially survive). To me, that’s a noble move.
Phil has put his reputation on the line in order to make his family more important than his job. Investing in his family is more important than getting that next big win.
Maybe we husbands could learn something from Phil. Lets evaluate what is of utmost importance to us. Is it our job? Our reputation? That next “big win”? Or is it our family?
Here’s a tribute to one of the craziest shots I ever saw Phil make.
