The sweetest victory: Phil Mickelson celebrates his Masters win with a kiss from wife Amy, who has been battling breast cancer for the past 11 monthsIt would be a career highlight for any golfer - beating both Tiger Woods and British hope Lee Westwood to win your third Masters title at Augusta.
But even sweeter for Phil Mickelson was the sight of his wife waiting behind the 18th green with tears streaming down her face.
Amy Mickelson has not attended a golf tournament since she was diagnosed with breast cancer 11 months ago. And until she arrived at the course yesterday, it had remained unclear whether or not she would be strong enough to attend.
After securing the coveted green jacket with a 5-under 67 to pull away for a three-stroke win, the champion golfer shared a long embrace with his wife.
Standing behind them was Mary Mickelson, his mother, who, by tragic coincidence, is also battling breast cancer after being diagnosed in July.
It would have been an emotional moment for Mickelson, and as he walked to the scoring trailer to sign for the lowest score at Augusta in nine years, a single tear could be seen running down his face.
The 39-year-old, who wore a pink ribbon in his hat in support of breast cancer awareness, tightly grasped his wife's hand until he headed off for an interview.
'I wasn't sure if she was going to be there,' he said.
'In the last year, we've been through a lot and it's been tough. And to be on the other end and feel this kind of jubilation is incredible.
'It's been such an incredible week, an emotional week. And to cap it off with a victory is something I can't put into words. It's something we'll share for the rest of our lives.'
Emotional: Amy Mickelson had tears streaming down her face as she watched her husband take the coveted title
'An incredible wife': Mickelson held Amy in a long embrace, as nine-year-old daughter Amanda looked onIn one of the most exciting golf tournaments in recent years, Mickelson's devotion to his family made for a stark contrast with fellow competitor Tiger Woods, who returned to the game after a five month absence following a humiliating sex scandal.
The Mickelsons, who married in 1996, have three children together; Amanda, nine, Sophia, seven, and Evan, six.
Amy's diagnosis last year had a significant impact on her husband's career. After making the announcement on May 20, he said he would suspend his PGA Tour schedule indefinitely.
He missed the chance to play the HP Byron Nelson Championship, and later to defend his title at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.
But despite his absence from the game, Mickelson and his family were far from forgotten. During the final round of the 2009 BMW PGA Championship, fellow golfer John Daly wore bright pink trousers in support of Amy's cancer battle.
The following week, a 'Pink Out' event was held at Colonial, and all the PGA Tour players wore pink in support of the Mickelson family.
Champion: Mickelson beat both Tiger Woods and British hope Lee Westwood to win his third Masters title at Augusta
Career highlight: Mickelson receives the coveted green jacket from former Masters champion Angel Cabrera of Argentina After learning on May 31 that Amy's cancer had been detected at an early stage and the prognosis was good, he announced that he would return to play on the PGA Tour at the St. Jude Classic and the U.S. Open.
But Mickelson was to be hit by a further blow: In July, his mother, Mary, was also diagnosed with breast cancer. This prompted another leave of absence from the Tour, forcing him to miss the Open Championship.
It is not the first time that Mickelson's personal life has spilled over into his game, and it seems the two are inextricably linked. During the 1999 U.S. Open, when Amy was nine months pregnant with their first child, Mickelson wore a pager in case she went into labour.
But in an effort not to stall his game, Amy kept her contractions a secret, only letting on after the final round, in which he lost to Payne Stewart. He arrived home just in time to witness the birth of his daughter.
And in the final round of the Houston Open last week, he invited the radiation oncologist who treated his wife and mother, to carry his golf bag for three holes, after learning that the doctor had once been a caddy on the PGA Tour in 1984.
Devoted family: Amy Mickelson waits for her husband with their three children, from left, Amanda, nine, Evan, six and Sophia, sevenMickelson says his wife's long-term outlook is good, but her treatment has taken a toll on her emotions.
Last night he paid tribute to Amy, 37, who had been forced to spend most of the week in bed at their rented house.
'It has made a big difference having my family here this week,' he said.
'This is the first week they have travelled in 11 months. It takes a lot of the heartache away, and it's been great.
'We've been through a lot this year and it means a lot to share some joy. She's an incredible wife, an incredible mother. It was an amazing week.
'I'm fortunate in the way things are playing out for us, because we have a better situation than a lot of the people we see at our centre who have been getting treatment,' he added.
'Things are good long term. We are OK long term. But day-to-day has been difficult, and the medicines and so forth have been challenging, and has made the quality of life not what we... hopefully we are trying to work on that and make it better.'
The build-up to the tournament had been overshadowed by the return of Tiger Woods, whose very public infidelities cast a shadow over the sport.
This was made clear in a sermon-like speech from Masters chairman Billy Payne that summed up the feelings of a golfing world let down.
‘He forgot that with fame and fortune come responsibility not invisibility,’ said Payne. ‘It is not simply the degree of his conduct that was so egregious but the fact that he disappointed all of us, and more importantly our kids and grandkids.
'Our hero did not live up to the expectations of the role model we saw for our children.’
Though no-one could deny Woods' golfing talent, the game needed a new hero, so Mickelson's win, combined with his devotion to his family could not have come at a better moment.
But while yesterday's Masters triumph gave the family much-needed reason to smile, Amy and Mary's battles with cancer continue, and not until the disease is beaten can they truly celebrate victory.
source: dailymail
