Golf World Monday - January 31, 2011

amy mickelson

phil mickelson’s overriding message for the season is to make 2011 the year 2010 should have been, his masters win notwithstanding. being more comfortable with his game helps, and getting a handle on issues related to his psoriatic arthritis is crucial. but don’t discount what it means to mickelson to have his wife back in his gallery after an almost two-year absence. amy, who seems to have turned a corner in her battle with breast cancer, walked 63 of 72 holes last week at torrey pines. “one of the great things this week was watching how happy he was when he looked at her,” said mickelson’s caddie, Jim (bones) mackay. amy hadn’t been healthy enough to walk a full round since the ’09 players, the same month she received confirmation of her illness. as happy as phil was about her presence, amy, popular among the players and their wives, was ebullient. “i missed being out here,” she said with a smile that never seemed to leave her face all week. “i missed the people and the atmosphere and just being able to be here for phil. it feels like things are getting back to normal again, as much as they can be.” phil says he and amy are “in a much better place.” who could argue that that place shouldn’t be by each other’s side?—D.S.