Mickelson takes break; wife diagnosed with cancer

JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Phil Mickelson's wife, Amy, has been diagnosed with breast cancer, and the three-time major champion said on Wednesday he will suspend his U.S. PGA Tour schedule indefinitely. According to a release from Mickelson's management company, his wife was to have more tests but begin treatment with major surgery as early as the next two weeks. Mickelson, the No. 2 player in the world with 36 career U.S. PGA Tour victories, was to play in the Byron Nelson Championship this week before defending his title next week at Colonial. It was not certain if he would return in time for the U.S. Open from June 18-21 in New York, where he was the runner-up to Tiger Woods in 2002 and is beloved by golf fans. "Elin and I are deeply saddened to hear the news about Amy," Woods said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with her, Phil, the children and the entire Mickelson family." Amy Mickelson is among the most visible wives on the tour, a former Phoenix Suns cheerleader who regularly walks during the rounds and mingles easily with the gallery. She was waiting with their three children by the 18th green at the 2004 Masters when Mickelson won his first major, and at the 2006 U.S. Open, his most crushing loss in a major. One of the photos in the clubhouse at the Byron Nelson Championship is Mickelson walking with Amy when they were engaged in 1996 and Mickelson won the tournament. Scott Verplank, who played on two Ryder Cup teams and two Presidents Cup teams with Mickelson, said Mickelson sent him a text late Tuesday. "I had a hard time sleeping," Verplank said. "Every time I've been around her, she's always had a smile on her face. She's always upbeat," Verplank said. "She's a neat girl. Hopefully, it's early and hopefully, they take care of it. I just sent Phil a text back. I didn't call him or anything. He'll call me if he needs anything." Mickelson met his wife in 1992 when at Arizona State University, a year after he won his first U.S. PGA Tour event as an amateur. Amy knew nothing about golf at the time. "I grew up in a tennis family, and when he told me he was a pro golfer, I thought he worked in the shop at a golf course," she wrote in Mickelson's book, "One Magical Sunday," after he won his first major at the 2004 Masters. The first time she accompanied him to a golf tournament, the Bob Hope Classic, she thought they would walk hand-in-hand down the fairway and was angry at him for not spending enough time with her. But once she learned the difference between birdies and bogeys, she has been at his side during the highs and low. They were married in 1996 and have three children: Amanda, 9, Sophia, 7, and Evan, 6. Their first child was born the day after the 1999 U.S. Open., where Mickelson carried a pager and promised to leave if his wife went into labor. Contractions began on Sunday, but she decided not to tell Mickelson as he tried to win his first major. He lost by one stroke when Payne Stewart holed a 15-foot par putt on the final hole, and Mickelson arrived home in time for the birth. How much golf Mickelson misses this summer is uncertain, but it comes at a time when Woods, his chief rival, returned from eight months away with knee surgery. They played together in the final round of the Masters and practically stole the show with an exciting charge up the leaderboard. Mickelson finished one shot ahead of Woods, but three shots out of the playoff won by Angel Cabrera. "We are saddened by the news of Amy Mickelson's diagnosis, but are hopeful that with the support of Phil and her family and friends, she will come through this difficult time," U.S. PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said. "The thoughts and prayers of everyone connected with the PGA Tour are with the Mickelson family." -AP ___