Mickelson says he's in a good place, expects a big season

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A day after Phil Mickelson nearly holed out from the fairway on the final hole to force a playoff in Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines on Sunday, there was nary a hint of disappointment in his voice as he recapped his runner-up finish and talked of the rest of 2011.

Which isn't surprising, considering Mickelson — whose reputation for daring and aggressive play has been well earned during a career of recovery shots from between trees and over water hazards — rarely dwells on letdowns.

Last year, however, tested Mickelson's recuperative powers like no other.

A week after the U.S. Open, Mickelson woke up in so much pain that the slightest touch delivered agonizing anguish. A week later the pain was so severe he couldn't even take a backswing with the golf club. For the rest of the year, Mickelson said he lost about 20% of his strength.
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And during this time, his wife, Amy, and mother, Mary, were still in treatment for breast cancer.

"It was a tough time, a very tough time," said Mickelson, who this week is making his 22nd start in the Waste Management Phoenix Open, which he won in 1996 and 2005. "You think of the future, about golf, about the kid.

"You think about everything."

Mickelson eventually was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis and, with the proper medication, has the affliction under control. His wife and mother are also on the mend and doing quite well. And ditching his stab at a vegetarian diet — "We knew that was doomed from the beginning," Mickelson said — has put protein back on his plate and helped him regain strength.

All of which adds up to Mickelson saying he hopes 2011 ends up being what he thought 2010 would be after his thrilling win in the Masters, his lone victory last year.

"Amy and I are in a much better place right now, and that means so much," Mickelson said. "We both feel so much better and we both have a lot of things going our way. That's why I'm so excited about this year."

So much so that Mickelson began preparations a week earlier than usual, beating the new year to the golf course. His work with coaches Butch Harmon, Dave Stockton and Dave Pelz on all things swing dealt solely with refinement instead of change.

Things looked back to normal at Torrey Pines, where Mickelson, in his Tour debut, was near the top of the leaderboard and Amy was in the gallery, walking all but nine of her husband's 72 holes for the first time since The Players in 2009.

"For all of his life Phil has felt like he was in control of things. And then things happen and all of a sudden you don't have the slightest idea what to do or what is going to happen," Amy said. "But he is such a resilient person. He always has been. And everything is so much better now."

Mickelson said as much many times last week.

"I didn't finish the year last year the way I wanted to, and I wanted to start the year off with a win," Mickelson said. "I wanted to get some moment on the west coast, and I feel like I really need to get a "W" and perform and come through on Sunday heading into Augusta in a couple of months.

"But on the other hand, I played really good golf and gave myself an opportunity. Played well on Sunday and had a good tournament. Hopefully, I'll use this as a springboard for (Phoenix).