Mickelson's experience more important than final score

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Phil Mickelson has shown the world two different faces lately as he devotes his time to both golf and his wife Amy.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The final score wasn't pretty, but it really wasn't important, either. Neither was that three-putt bogey at the 18th hole on Sunday.

Phil Mickelson did what he needed to do this week at the St. Jude Classic presented by FedEx. He played a little golf. He faced the inquiring minds of the media. He reassured his fans -- and let them reach out to him, as well.

Normalcy is too strong a word to describe what returned to Mickelson's life at TPC Southwind. Nothing can be normal when your wife, the woman who has been part of your life for the last 16 years, is facing treatment for breast cancer in three weeks.

But Phil Mickelson, the husband, went back to being Phil Mickelson, the golfer, for five days at the St. Jude Classic.

As soon as the golfer tallied up his scorecard on this steamy Sunday afternoon, though, after he did four sets of interviews and signed countless autographs, the husband headed back to San Diego. With any luck and a strong tailwind, Mickelson would be home with Amy and the kids almost before Brian Gay had finished his acceptance speech.

After 48 precious hours with the family, Mickelson will head to Long Island, N.Y., to play in the U.S. Open. His schedule is fluid, but he'll likely arrive sometime Tuesday and play a practice round at Bethpage Black, where he finished second in 2002, on Wednesday.

Who knows what Mickelson divined from his performance at TPC Southwind. He broke par twice, equaled it once and shot 75 on Sunday. He finished 1 over for the tournament, but gave up six strokes on the 18th hole alone.

Regardless of how the birdies and bogeys played out, though, Mickelson did what he had to do.

"I needed to get a little bit of play in," Mickelson said, "(to) see where my game was at and get back on the golf course in a competitive frame of mind if I was going to have a chance (at the U.S. Open)."

Although he only hit 26 of 56 fairways and 48 of 72 greens, Mickelson was most frustrated by his flat stick -- calling his putting "weak" on several occasions. Three days he needed 29 putts while he used 33 on Friday.

"I thought I hit the ball very well, kept it in play pretty good and hit a lot of good tee shots and iron shots," Mickelson said. "I felt tee to green, it was pretty good, but getting the ball to the hole was a difficult task. ...

"My short game wasn't as sharp as it usually is, so I'll work on that the next few days."

One thing Mickelson doesn't need to work on, though, is relating to his fans. He was clearly the crowd favorite and he accepted the well-wishes for Amy with grace even though the frequent reminders had to have been difficult.

As he walked up the hill to the scoring trailer after putting out on the 18th hole Sunday, Mickelson passed six patients from the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. They wore white t-shirts that said "Thinking of Amy" in maroon letters.

"These are some pretty cool kids who are going through what we're going to be going through in a few weeks," Mickelson would later tell CBS announcer David Feherty.

When the interview was over, Mickelson took out a Sharpie and signed each of the t-shirts; the father of three, all under the age of 10, talking easily with the youngsters -- even if one child repeatedly put his muddy shoe on the golfer's white one.

"This is a wonderful tournament," Mickelson said. "The St. Jude Hospital is an incredible organization. To bring the kids out is pretty cool. The golf course is in great shape and gave me a chance to really get ready for next week's Open.

"We have three weeks until we start our treatment schedule, and I'll have a chance to play the Open next week. We'll go on a family vacation the week after and get started."

That was Mickelson, the husband, talking.