Phil Mickelson

Congratulations to Phil Mickelson for winning his third Masters victory yesterday. A very solid performance on a Sunday to chase down the leader (Lee Westwood) to earn the victory. The story behind the story is how significant this victory was for Phil and his family. For those that are not aware, Phil's wife Amy has been diagnosed with breast cancer. She has been battling the cancer for a couple years now. She has typically been too sick and confined to bed which does not enable her to travel and attend her husbands golf tournaments. But on the last day of this years Masters tournament she mustered up the energy and courage to join the gallery to watch the tournament unfold. Phil was one shot off the lead going into Sunday with Tiger knocking on the door just a few shot behind him. Phil had shot a bogey free round and finished the 18th hole with a dramatic birdie that sealed his victory.

This being his fourth major (and third green jacket) didn't tell the story here. After the victory you could tell the crowd celebrated with him and his family. Phil greeted his wife with an emotional embrace. You could almost feel the release of emotion for the both of them. This was a well earned and much needed victory for Phil and his family who have been through so much in the past year or two.

With all the drama with Tiger Woods in the past 5 months, and all the ongoing trouble outside the lines you hear about with all these athletes nowadays it is really refreshing to see a human interest story that involves sports such as Phil's victory this weekend. To me, Mickelson encapsulates everything that is right about sports in an era where there is so much wrong with sports. Phil is a perennial crowd favorite. He is always happy and more than willing to embrace the gallery, sign autographs until everyone gets one. He is the opposite of Tiger Woods when it comes dealing with the media and the fans. Phil is always having fun out there even when things aren't going his way. You won't see see temper tantrums, you won't here F-bombs after a bad tee shot, you won't see him throwing his clubs or scowling at the gallery when a camera shutter is premature. What you will see is a guy who just comes to work every tournament and loves his job. People can sense that. People respect that. And the average person can relate to that. Hell, it's golf. It's a sport. It should be fun. Few athletes are loved as much as Phil is in golf. He has a perfect balance of intensity, passion, charisma and charm. He's a family man with a good head on his shoulders. In an era of infidelity by many pro athletes, I love to see someone who is still devoted to his family. Go Sun Devil!