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PINEHURST, N.C. -- The beeper is on, a private plane is waiting on the runway. And if the alarm sounds, Phil Mickelson will be on his way home.
Mickelson came to the U.S. Open in search of his first major championship, but he has far more than that on his mind. That's why he'll pass on the opportunity to win, if necessary. His wife, Amy, is expecting the couple's first child at home in Scottsdale, Ariz., and if the beeper goes off, tournament title on the line or not, Mickelson will be gone. "I have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be there, whereas the U.S. Open takes place every year," Mickelson said. "That's the way I've tended to look at it. I didn't know if I'd feel that way or not." Not even a share of the first-round lead could sway him. Mickelson shot a 3-under 67 at Pinehurst No. 2 on Thursday to sit atop the leaderboard with David Duval, Billy Mayfair and Paul Goydos. Although Mickelson is considered one of the great young players in the game, with 13 PGA Tour titles in seven years, his play was a mild surprise, considering the circumstances. He didn't arrive in Pinehurst until late Tuesday night. In fact, Mickelson was unsure if he would even play in the U.S. Open. Only after he and Amy went to a Tuesday morning doctor's appointment did he feel secure in coming. The baby -- a girl -- is not due until June 30, but Amy has had some complications during her pregnancy that might have caused Mickelson to stay home. The doctor assured Mickelson that the baby is unlikely to arrive early. Just in case, the beeper is with Mickelson's caddie and stays on alarm. A cell phone is in the golf bag. A plane is standing by at the Southern Pines, N.C. airport. "I figure I'll be about five hours and 15 minutes from the time I get the beep to the time I arrive at the hospital," said Mickelson, who turned 29 on Wednesday. "If he's got a six-shot lead and I'm in second and I'm three shots ahead of everybody, I'm going to pat him and say, 'Go ahead and go home,' " said John Daly, who is a shot behind at 68. "I'll go to the baby store and buy you all the baby clothes you need." With all that is on Mickelson's mind, it might have eased the pressure. He has openly admitted that he figured he'd have won a major championship by now. With each one the passes, the urgency to win intensifies. "I have something to take my mind off a major championship," he said. "As far as preparation, it's actually no different than I prepare for any other regular tour event. The practice rounds at a major championship are a chore. It's a six-hour round, you're supposed to sign autographs all day, and you're trying to prepare for one of the biggest tournaments of the year. "So I feel like I'm much fresher. I had an opportunity to see the golf course, and I've got a caddie who was out there seeing how it plays. So I'm not really concerned." Because he is considered so adept with his short game, Mickelson was looking forward to Pinehurst, where the USGA has taken away the usual rough around the greens, allowing balls to roll from the putting surfaces. That requires some creative chipping techniques, a part of the game where Mickelson excels. "I was really excited about this tournament," Mickelson said. "I'm really excited about the setup of the golf course. I think this is the best test of golf that I've played in a major championship in that it tests every area of your game. It tests every shot. "I thought this would be a good opportunity for me to play well in the U.S. Open. I'm fortunate to have gotten off to a good start. Obviously, the course is playing as easy as it can with the greens being as soft as they are, but it's a tribute to how difficult the course is in that there really aren't any really low scores. I think we're going to be in for a long weekend if the greens were to dry out." Mickelson was sounding like a man who plans to be here through the conclusion, although he has his priorities in order. "I care now more for my wife and my daughter than I ever would about the game of golf," Mickelson said. "When I was 19 or 20 years old, I would have had a hard time envisioning that. But in the cycle of life, things change." Bob Harig, who covers golf for the St. Petersburg Times, writes a column every Tuesday for ESPN Golf Online. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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