| |
|
|
Amanda's first tournament Father Phil hopes to win first major while first born watches
Posted: Wednesday August 11, 1999 11:16 PM
MEDINAH, Ill. (AP) -- The beeper has been replaced by a baby. If Phil Mickelson gets into contention in the PGA Championship this week, he won't have to worry about his beeper going off to alert him to the impending birth of his daughter. That's been replaced by a bigger concern -- like whether little Amanda Brynn Mickelson will begin crying at just the wrong time as her mother totes her along the tree-lined fairways of Medinah Country Club. "That may be a problem," Mickelson said Wednesday. "It's experimental for us. This is the first time we've gone through this and it will be an experiment." Amanda, who was born the day after Mickelson lost the U.S. Open by one shot to Payne Stewart, is at her first tournament, though she'll likely sleep much of the time as her father tries to win his first major. Mickelson's wife, Amy, plans to carry their daughter in a baby backpack as she follows Mickelson around. Mickelson has played only once, missing the cut in the British Open, since Amanda was born June 22. Since her birth, he's discovered what life as a new father is like. "The past few months I've been getting up in the middle of the night. Primarily, my wife has, though," Mickelson said. "And it's been tough on her as it's been tough on me." While his family life flourished, the golf game that peaked at the Open has suffered. Mickelson pretty much put the sticks away to concentrate on his newly expanded family. "I've spent a lot of time with my family, and it's been a very enjoyable couple of months," he said. "This last week I've tried to play and practice quite a bit, and I feel like I've been playing well but I won't really know how I'm playing until I get in competition." Mickelson readily admits he may have made a mistake by not playing more often since his daughter was born. He's not about to apologize for it, though, or the fact he was ready to walk off the course at the U.S. Open had his wife gone into labor. He might have had to do that if Stewart hadn't run in a putt on the final hole to win the Open. Otherwise, Mickelson would have been just about making the turn in an 18-hole playoff on Monday about the time Amy was getting ready to give birth. "What really surprises me is that there are some people that would have considered staying and that disappoints me," Mickelson said. "As a father, I think there's nothing more important in life to do than to raise that child and I'm disappointed that some guys would even consider leaving or not leaving and staying." At the age of 29, Mickelson still bears the burden of being labeled the best player who has never won a major. He has won 13 times on the PGA Tour, though, and his remarkably steady finish at the Open while keeping one ear on his beeper helped boost his confidence and shake a rap as a poor finisher under pressure. "I think that I'm just disappointed in myself for having been out here six, seven, eight years and not having won one," Mickelson said. "I certainly had higher expectations than that." Though his game is rusty, the PGA Championship might be the best place for Mickelson to break through. At 7,401 yards, Medinah's No. 3 course plays to long hitters, and Mickelson's short game is one of the best on tour when he is sharp. And 10 of the last 11 PGA's have been won by first-time major winners. No matter if he wins the tournament or misses the cut, Mickelson believes he has his priorities in order both on and off the course. "I like to pride myself on the ability to separate things that are going on in my life when I get on the golf course," he said. "I wouldn't want my family to take the brunt of poor play or be the bearer of praise when I play well."
| |||||||||||||||||
Copyright © 1999 CNN/SI. A Time Warner Company. Terms under which this service is provided to you.
| |||||||||||||||||
