After another heartbreak,golf takes a back seat for Mickelson

Phil Mickelson sat in the second-floor locker room behind the 18th green and tied his shoelaces.

Phil Mickelson sat in the second-floor locker room behind the 18th green and tied his shoelaces. The locker room that serves the Bethpage State Park golf courses is small and narrow,and when Mickelson stood,he bumped an attendant trying to gather a towel from the floor. Oh,Im so sorry, Mickelson said.

Fifty yards away on the 18th green,Lucas Glover was celebrating his US Open victory. Mickelson finished in second place at the event for the fifth time. He took a watch from his pocket and wrapped it around his wrist. He shook hands with two locker room attendants and said: Thank you for everything. Im sorry we took an extra day of your time.

Mickelson removed his golf cap and walked to the mens room at the end of the hall. He splashed his face with water,and stared at the mirror for a long second.

He then walked down a twisting back stairwell that led to a side kitchen exit. Mickelson made his way to the 18th green and the trophy presentation,where he received a silver medal along with his fellow second-place finishers,David Duval and Ricky Barnes. Mickelson stood in the sun and gazed around the vast grandstand,which erupted in applause at the mention of his name.

Later,Mickelson was asked if he had allowed himself to dream about what it would have been like to win in the last tournament he would play before his wife,Amy,begins breast cancer treatment.

Mickelson said he tried not to think ahead. But standing on the green during the trophy presentation,it was easy to imagine that Mickelson knew in that moment that the ceremony and the celebration could have been for him. Only louder.

Immense support

Walking toward the 17th green an hour earlier,a voice had risen above the applause. Dont give up,Phil, the fan yelled. We wont quit on you. Dont quit on us. Mickelson smiled and gave the fan a thumbs-up. But on the 17th green,an uneasy tension enveloped the bowl-like setting as Mickelson stood over a routine 3-foot par putt. When the putt never touched the hole,there was a wounded groan from the grandstand.

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At the final green,by the time Mickelson missed a difficult 20-foot putt for birdie,the crowd and Mickelson seemed to have conceded the outcome. I want to win this tournament badly, he said. I have been second five times. But I dont know where to go with this because this time I feel different. Ive got more important things going on. And,oh,well.

His bags already in a silver Volvo,Mickelson started to work his way away from the clubhouse. About a hundred fans were calling to him from beyond a temporary railing. Mickelson walked toward them and began signing his name on tickets,hats,flags and anything else the surging crowd thrust toward him. He did this for 20 minutes until he began to drift in the direction of his car. Give our love to Amy, a woman shouted to him. I will, Mickelson answered.

He signed autographs for the state troopers,then shook each of their hands. Opening the car door,he sunk into the front passenger seat. Mickelson took off his hat,wiped his right hand across his forehead and rubbed his eyes. The car backed up and pulled away as fans straining behind a barricade waved in his direction and called his name.