Phil faces wave of emotions in return to the PGA TOUR

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Phil Mickelson has been away from the TOUR since THE PLAYERS Championship in May.

There are some who will question Phil Mickelson's decision to return to professional golf three weeks after he learned his wife, Amy, has breast cancer. It doesn't matter to them that Amy has given her husband the thumbs up to go play.

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But if Mickelson is to play in next week's U.S. Open at Bethpage Black -- where he was treated like a rock star while finishing second to Tiger Woods in 2002 -- then this much is clear: He absolutely has to tee it up in this week's St. Jude Classic.

The reasons have very little to do with Mickelson's need to reacquaint himself with his driver or to fine-tune his short game. It's more about him making an emotional return to the PGA TOUR that has closed its ranks around the Mickelson family since Amy's cancer was revealed.

Imagine what it's going to be like the first time Mickelson walks into the locker room or on to the practice tee at TPC Southwind. It's going to resemble an episode of Mickelson's favorite show, Entourage, with a lot of hugging going on this week.

Now imagine what it's going to be like when Mickelson steps to the first tee and someone in the stands yells, "We love you Phil and Amy!"

Mickelson's caddie, Jim "Bones' Mackay, is going to need to pack extra towels this week: One for Mickelson's clubs, one for Mickelson and one for himself.

If Mickelson tried to make his return next week at the U.S. Open -- the one major championship he says he desperately wants to win -- he would have little chance to perform well because of the extra demands during the week of a major championship. Adding on the emotions of a return would be like two college seniors planning a wedding during finals week.

Bad timing.

Mickelson is going to be feeling a lot of love this week, from his peers and the fans, and he'll have to be able to adapt those feelings into his on-course demeanor.

We saw it during the third round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational presented by Colonial, when players, caddies, PGA TOUR officials and fans wore pink as part of their "Pink Out" celebration for Amy and other breast cancer patients. CBS on-course commentator David Feherty resembled a bottle of Pepto-Bismol after he spray-painted his wardrobe pink.

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Stuart Appleby made his return to the TOUR a month after his wife's death in 1998.

We also saw it when Stuart Appleby played in the 1998 PGA Championship at Sahalee, a month after his wife, Renay, died in a car accident after the British Open. Appleby's press conference was one of the most emotional ever on the PGA TOUR -- both for him and the ones asking the questions. When Appleby arrived at the first tee on Thursday at that PGA Championship, several top players stopped what they were doing to watch Appleby make his return to the game.

No doubt there will be similar emotions for Lefty when he begins play Thursday. Finding an emotional balance will be more difficult than finding the first fairway.

Then there's the matter of dealing with the next four-plus hours on the course. That's one of the few drawbacks of golf: When things aren't going well, there's a lot of time for the mind to wonder. No doubt Mickelson will see something in the middle of the round that will make him think of Amy and his family, and the emotions will flow freer than his swing.

Even though Appleby missed the cut at Sahalee, he said it was essential that he return to the sport, sooner better than later, to start moving on with his life. It's important to remember, of course, that Amy's cancer hopefully was caught early enough that she can recover and lead a full, healthy life. But these are not easy times for a guy who has been blessed with so much in his life.

And that makes his fans want to root even more for Lefty. If Woods has assumed the mantle as the Jack Nicklaus of his generation, no doubt Mickelson has taken on the persona of Arnold Palmer, with fans always wondering what will Phil do next.

This isn't the first time family matters have taken precedent for Mickelson at the U.S. Open. At the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, Mickelson famously played with a beeper because Amy was due to go into labor with their first child that week. Amy did go into labor the day of the final round, but didn't beep her husband until after he narrowly finished second to Payne Stewart. Mickelson hopped on his private plane and made it back to California to be there when Amy gave birth to Amanda Brynn.

Mickelson wouldn't be playing this week unless our national championship was being staged next week. He may be walking in Memphis, but his mind will be home in California with Amy and his family.

He's playing golf these two weeks because this is what he does for a living and this is what Amy wants. But as we've learned during the last month, what Phil does next isn't really that important.

Not just as a golfer.

Craig Dolch is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.