Don't know if this was mentioned on one of the other many Masters'/Mickelson threads but Phil's new-found maturity was evident throughout the tournament. Sometimes it takes a life-threatening event or other revelation to do this, othertimes just time. In Phil's case it was the former. This is from the San Diego Times Union two months ago:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/golf/buick/20040211-9999-1s11phil.htmlYear of Renewal
Phil, Amy Mickelson endured crucible of 2003, emerge with new strength
By Tod Leonard
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
February 11, 2004
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Amy Mickelson said she and Phil needed to "reflect on our lives" after the near tragic complications involving the birth of their son Evan (far left) last year.
Tina Mickelson still can't recall the day without choking back tears.
She remembers standing in a hallway at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla last March 23 with the horrible feeling that she could do nothing to make things better for her older brother.
Pro golf star Phil Mickelson had everything anybody could want in this world: fame, money, trophies, cars, an incredible house in his hometown, a legion of fans worldwide, a tightly knit and fiercely loyal family. But in the span of mere minutes, he was facing crushing, unfathomable losses.
Amy, Phil's wife of seven years, was in a fight for her life after suffering a torn uterus during the birth of their third child. Basically, she was bleeding to death, and the on-call surgeon who could save her was racing for the hospital from a dinner with friends.
In the same moments, doctors were working to save baby Evan, the Mickelsons' first boy, who suffered so much trauma during the birth that he came out limp and not breathing. It would be seven harrowing minutes before he would take his first gasp of air.
Two rooms and two loved ones. In the middle, there was a man trying to grasp the possibility of a future without either. Never before had Phil Mickelson had so little control over his own life.
"Phil was sitting on a bench outside the operating room, staring at the window," Tina Mickelson said. "I had never seen that look on his face, and there was nothing I could do to help him...
"To see him sit there and be so helpless, possibly about to lose his wife and newborn child... there are so many things that go through your mind that you've never thought of before. My knees just buckled. It was a feeling you can't put into words."
Today, Amy and Evan are healthy. Neither suffered any long-term damage, and Evan is a strong and bright 11-month-old, fussed over by his sisters, Amanda, 4, and Sophia, 2.
But to think that that one day nearly a year ago didn't change Phil Mickelson, that it didn't alter his outlook on golf or his life, is not to have endured something so traumatic.
For all of last year, Phil didn't discuss the trauma outside of immediate friends and family. It wasn't until three weeks ago at the Bob Hope that he spoke of it publicly, in a news conference to announce the formation of his "Birdies for the Brave" charity program.
"It was very, very . . . and still is, hard for Phil to talk about it," Amy Mickelson said. "It wasn't something he wanted to talk about and relive every week. Now, we're better. Evan is our easiest and happiest baby, and I feel great. It's easier to talk about because it's after the fact and we can reflect back on it."
Reflect being the key word – not dwell. Phil Mickelson, 33, who already has won once this season at the Hope and has two other top-seven finishes in as many starts, enters the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines tomorrow with a better, tighter swing, yes, but also a renewed desire and attitude.
His outlook, his wife said, is due in part to a heart-to-heart chat the two had last fall.
"We had a lot of perspective on the year, in a lot of ways," Amy said Saturday as she walked in the huge crowd following Phil at Pebble Beach. "Things happened that helped us really reflect on our lives, to know how lucky we are and what is really important.
"We sat down and we talked about how to tackle some of the issues we were dealing with. And we decided the best option was to start fresh, totally start over and not just dwell on it. Blow it off – everything.
"We really don't even talk about last year. It's like it didn't exist. I'm really proud of him for being able to do that, because it's not easy to do."
Said Phil: "Amy and I are a partnership; we discuss everything. And reminiscing about '03 and how we wanted to make '04 different, she played a huge part in that. It's something that we both have to do. We both have to forget about '03. It was a tough year for both of us, not just me. We're just excited about it."
As for what part his positive change in attitude has played in his vastly improved play, Mickelson said, "Attitude seems to produce actions. So being motivated and excited about this year will affect what we do."
On the course, Phil Mickelson never experienced anything like 2003. His swing woes were well-documented and his statistics were awful. He posted four top-10s before Evan was born, amazingly finished third in the Masters only three weeks after, and then didn't sniff a victory for the last six months of the season.
This, from a player who started the year at No. 2 in the world and had averaged two wins a season over a 10-year span. And for the first time, his family saw a different Phil. He was unhappy, and his taste for competition had waned.
"He was not enjoying his job, not wanting to go to work, not wanting to be there," Amy said. "He was frustrated and tired. I would say tired more than anything."
"Granted," said Tina Mickelson, "he has the best family in the world and a wonderful wife, but I did worry about his happiness. It was the first time I was not only sad for him, but angry for what he had to endure."
Off the course, Mickelson's relationship with the media soured. Long since weary of questions about his lack of a major victory and his go-for-broke style, Mickelson was further chafed by the hoopla caused by his off-hand comments in a magazine about Tiger Woods' "inferior" golf equipment. He insisted he meant them as a compliment, and he believed they were intentionally twisted by some to heat up their rivalry.
One year ago today, Mickelson faced dozens of TV cameras and reporters and essentially apologized to Woods for his statements. The buzz reached a crescendo on that Sunday at Torrey Pines, when Mickelson played in the final group with Woods, who outscored him by four strokes in the round and beat him by six.
All along, however, Mickelson believed his assessment was correct – that Woods was winning with Nike equipment that was not as technologically advanced as his own Titleist gear.
Mickelson felt vindicated in July when Woods switched back to his old Titleist driver for four tournaments. But the rift left a bitter taste for the rest of the year.
"I think when you're trying to pay someone a compliment and you get slapped in the face for it, it's the media wanting to believe the worst," said Tina Mickelson, who this month started her new job as an on-course reporter for The Golf Channel. "Some people don't want to believe that someone can be as good-hearted and genuine and down-to-earth as Phil is, and still be successful.
"So he tries to be nice and do something good, but it's like Pavlov's dog. If you keep getting slapped in the face, at what point do you say, 'I'm not going to try'?
"I know I haven't gotten over it," Tina said, laughing. "I'm still (angry) about it."
Her brother, however, has apparently put it behind him. This year, Phil Mickelson is back to being relaxed and jovial. He is smiling easily and his manner has been as smooth as his swing. He is eating better, working out more consistently than ever before.
It would seem he is one of those rare cases whose New Year's resolution has lasted longer than the first week of January.
"He just has an all-around great attitude," Amy said. "I'm so proud of him. After the Phoenix Open he could not wait to get out and work again. That's the big difference from last year. Instead of enduring each week, he can't wait to get back out there."