I like a redemption story as much as the next guy, and I'm happy that Tiger's back in the hunt- but the crown rightly belonged with Phil Mickelson and his family today.
11 months ago, Phil's wife, Amy, was diagnosed with breast cancer, and he suspended his PGA tour schedule indefinitely to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her while she battled through cancer treatments. Phil returned to the PGA in August, but today was the first tournament Amy's been to since being diagnosed- and apparently she's been in bed all week. In a cruel twisting of the knife, Phil's mother Mary was also diagnosed with breast cancer, last July. Both Amy and Mary got some much-deserved joy today, cheering Lefty on to his 3rd green jacket. We are all lifted up by the courage, the strength and the purity of their heartwarming triumph.
Usually Tiger's the guy to beat, and our billion dollar Madison Avenue icon has always been compelling to watch. He's an attention magnet all the more so now, with racy mistresses all over the tabloids, luridly raunchy sext messages on the Internet (what was he thinking) - such a contrast to the Mr. Perfect bag of goods we'd all been successfully sold (and poor Elin). The shameless plane taunting stunt, the brilliant- if creepy- dead father Nike ads (funny spoof here), it all just adds to the spectacle of Tiger Woods. I can't say I didn't turn on the t.v. today in part because of Tiger.
But, Tiger story aside, there was something almost superhuman about Phil determined to win one for his family. The emotional payoff when he hugged his wife off of the 18th hole was huge, too. It has to be one of the top 5 post-game hugs in the history of the Masters.
At the end of the day, it worked out beautifully. Tiger finishes in a fully respectable fourth, still on the path to redemption, noble Phil brings home the crown to bask in with his deserving family.
Nice to see the good guy finish first this time.
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