Lefty Taking a Break

Phil Mickelson is suspending his involvement in future PGA tournaments after getting news that his wife, Amy, has been diagnosed with breast cancer. This means that Phil will miss this weeks HP Byron Nelson Championship and will also not defend his title at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Mickelson is currently 3rd in the FedEx Cup standings having already won twice this season (Northern Trust Open and WGC-CA Championship).

But as much as Lefty's presence will be missed in the upcoming PGA events, it is nice to see an athlete put aside his job and be with his family when he is needed. So often the poor decisions from athletes are plastered all over the front pages of websites and newspapers, so when you read or hear about an athlete, especially one with the talent and resume of Phil Mickelson, and how they set aside work during a difficult time like this it strikes you as a unique story.

Jason Sobel, a golf blogger for ESPN put it best in his piece on Mickelson when he wrote, "There are more important matters in Phil Mickelson's life right now, more meaningful than his current world ranking or placement on the FedEx Cup list or, yes, even winning major championships."

The fact that Lefty, during a time when his nemesis Tiger Woods continues to look vulnerable, is stepping aside from his sport to attend to family matters, is unfortuante for the golf fan because we will miss out on the potential for a great duel in the weeks and months to come on tour. With that said, so often we read about the mistakes and poor choices made by athletes, but today we get to see a major figure in the sports world set everything aside to be with his family and that serves as a refreshing reminder of what is important in life.