Mickelson not likely to play in British Open

Sunday, June 21, 2009 -- For five hours, thousands of fans lingered at the soggy turf of Bethpage Black just to get a glimpse of golf pro Phil Mickelson. He has always been their favorite even though he had turned them down several times with runner up finishes during 2002 Bethpage U.S Open, 2004 Shinecock Hills and 2006 Winged Foot.

Now, they have given him more tangible support as Mickelson learned last month that his wife Amy has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Due to the unavoidable circumstance, he is not sure if he can still go back to the Bethpage Black. Mickelson only felt comfortable leaving California after receiving the optimistic news that his wife’s cancer might have been detected early.

The number of tournaments Mickelson will be playing for the rest of the year greatly depends on the result of his wife’s surgery.

"I'm putting everything I have into this week, because I don't anticipate being able to play for a little while,” he said. "And the fact that my normal support system — Amy and the kids and so forth — aren't going to make the trip this week, I'm kind of hoping to feel that support to help me through the week." Mickelson added.