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By PGA TOUR staff

IRVING, Texas -- Unable to participate in the Wednesday Pro-Am at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship due to weather-related travel complications, Phil Mickelson will still compete in the official 72-hole event that begins Thursday. PGA TOUR Executive Vice President and Chief of Operations Henry Hughes and PGA TOUR Tournament Director Slugger White made the announcement Wednesday.

Due to severe thunderstorms in Dallas on Tuesday night that forced the cancellation of Mickelson's flight from Arkansas, the 1996 EDS Byron Nelson Championship winner was unable to make his 7 a.m. pro-am time on Wednesday. Mickelson participated in Jackson T. Stephens Charitable Golf Tournament at The Alotian Club in Little Rock Tuesday afternoon and was scheduled to arrive at Dallas Love Field on Tuesday evening.

PGA TOUR Regulations state that a commitment to enter a tournament is also a commitment to play in a related Pro-Am at the tournament course. The failure of a professional player to participate in a Pro-Am after a commitment by such player to do so shall cause him to become ineligible for the tournament. However, the TOUR has discretion with this regulation with extenuating circumstances, and Hughes and White deemed that Mickelson should not be deemed ineligible due to his weather-related travel problems.

"Phil did everything physically possible to get here Tuesday night but was grounded in Little Rock due to circumstances completely beyond his control," said Hughes.

Mickelson's first-round tee time on Thursday is 10:40 a.m. at the TPC Four Seasons Resort Course.