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Phil Mickelson’s mother also diagnosed with breast cancer

By Tod Leonard
SAN DIEGO Union-Tribune Staff Writer

July 6, 2009

Phil Mickelson’s family has been struck with more bad news. His mother Mary has been diagnosed with breast cancer less than two months after the golfer’s wife, Amy, also was diagnosed with the disease. -Mary Mickelson, the mother of Phil Mickelson, has been diagnosed with breast cancer less than two months after the golfer’s wife, Amy, also was diagnosed with the disease.

Tina Mickelson, Phil’s sister, said Monday that her mother was diagnosed a week ago and will undergo surgery Friday at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Amy Mickelson had surgery for her breast cancer at the same hospital Wednesday.

Tina Mickelson said she wanted to make her mother’s condition known to the public so that she could receive support and prayers, just as Amy did. There has been a tremendous outpouring for the Mickelsons from players and fans on the PGA Tour.

Phil Mickelson, 39, has not made a public statement since playing the final round and finishing second in the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black two weeks ago. Tina Mickelson said Monday the initial pathology on Amy’s tumor and the surrounding tissue was healthier than doctors anticipated.

“She is hanging in there with everything, and this initial positive news is a relief,” Tina Mickelson wrote in an email. “She still has a long road ahead of her, but at least things are looking like they are heading in the right direction.”

Mary and Phil Mickelson Sr. live in the same San Diego house in which they raised their three children, Phil, Tina and Tim. The couple has had a strong presence in the golf community since their kids were old enough to swing clubs. Phil’s parents have been on hand for many of his most significant golf victories, including all three majors.

Mary Mickelson was honored as a Mother of the Year by the San Diego Chapter of the March of Dimes in 1998. At the time, she said, “I don’t know if I’ve done anything extra than other mothers. We’ve always been very involved and have just been there.”

Phil’s mother has been an athlete in her own right. In 1997, she played on a 50-and-older women’s basketball team that competed in the Senior Olympics. The squad won a bronze medal and Mary said, “It was the most incredible high I think I’ve ever had. We ate it, we slept it, we played it. You don’t want to talk to anyone; you just want to focus on what you have to do.”