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Learning as you go Mickelson puts '99 Open, Amanda's birth in perspective
Posted: Tuesday June 13, 2000 08:22 PM
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) -- Phil Mickelson stood with a wry grin masking his disappointment as Payne Stewart celebrated his winning putt last Father's Day. Then Stewart paused for a moment and took Mickelson's face in his hands, reminding him of greater things than being a U.S. Open champion. "Good luck with the baby. There's nothing like being a daddy," Stewart told Mickelson. Mickelson understood immediately. "When he grabbed my face and spoke to me about fatherhood it changed my feeling about the disappointment I had just felt to what's more important in my life," Mickelson said. "And Payne made it very apparent that that was what was more important to him, too." The next day, Mickelson, who was prepared to leave the course if his wife, Amy, went into labor during the Open, became a father for the first time when his daughter, Amanda, was born. The disappointment of losing the Open by one shot had faded some with Stewart's words. It completely disappeared with Amanda's birth. "It was the biggest emotional swing that you could ever have imagined, from the lows of losing the greatest championship in the game of golf, following it with the most emotional high that I've ever experienced, sharing the birth of our child the very next day," Mickelson said. The emotional roller coaster wasn't over yet, though. Four months later, Stewart would be dead, the victim of a bizarre plane crash. And Mickelson began to view the 18th hole ending at Pinehurst in a different way. "In light of what took place, it was the way it was meant to be," he said Tuesday. "It was just the way things were supposed to unfold. I would never have changed the outcome of any of the events that took place, except for the tragedy, if I could." Mickelson didn't realize it at the time, but the events of a year ago in North Carolina will forever be linked to his career and etched firmly in his mind. He thought of them more this week as he prepared for an Open that will be played in the shadow of Stewart across the country from where he won his last title. "Every time the U.S. Open swings around, I reminisce," Mickelson said. "I've been reminiscing the last couple of days, thinking about the match with Payne, thinking about the birth of our child, thinking about the last year that has taken place." As he watches Amanda near her first birthday, Mickelson can't help thinking about Stewart's family, too. "It's watching my child develop, thinking about how Payne Stewart's family no longer has that opportunity," he said. "Payne does not have the opportunity to watch Aaron and Chelsea grow up, and that's the biggest tragedy of all the occurrences that took place last year." Mickelson spent the better part of an hour Tuesday talking about his family, Stewart, the tournament last year and the state of his game going into the 100th Open. He then requested something of the media -- that they not ask him any more questions about Stewart so he could concentrate on trying to win his first major title. "I would appreciate it if we could kind of keep that to just today, so that I don't have to keep reminiscing about it each day, as the tournament goes on," Mickelson said. "I really want to try to focus solely on playing, and not so much reminiscing on last year's occurrences." The way Mickelson is playing, he may have some new U.S. Open memories to talk about after Pebble Beach. A three-time winner already this year, Mickelson comes into the Open with his short game better than ever and with an understanding built on eight years on the PGA Tour that course management and patience are sometimes just as important as talent. The 30-year-old's first round as a pro was played on Pebble Beach in the 1992 Open won by Tom Kite. He was in third place after an opening 68, but shot an 81 the next day and missed the cut. Mickelson has 16 wins as a pro, but no majors. After nearly winning the Open last year, he has become even more frustrated at his inability to win the big ones. "I think it's very important that it take place fairly soon, because I have had so many opportunities really to break through and win, and for whatever reason I just haven't come through and done it," he said.
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