Phil Mickelson has been married to his wife, Amy (maiden name McBride), since 1996. The two became romantically engaged when he was a senior in college at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. Amy was a junior at the school at the time and a cheerleader for the local NBA team, the Phoenix Suns. They dated for four years before tying the knot.
With the ending of the marriage between Tiger Woods and his wife Elin Nordegren, a case could be made that Amy is the “First Lady” of the PGA Tour due to her husband’s fame and popularity on the tour and her presence around the 18th green of major tournaments in which he is in contention.
Phil Mickelson and His Family
Together the two of them have three children: Amanda, Sophia, and Evan. Amy went into labor with their first born during the Sunday round of the 1999 U.S. Open. As Phil was in contention to win the title that day, she refrained from telling him that she was going to the hospital as to not pull him away from the tournament. Mickelson ultimately finished in 2nd place behind the late Payne Stewart.
Their second child, Sophia, was born in 2001. Their youngest, Evan, was born in 2003 in what was reported to be a “life-threatening” delivery to both Amy and the child. Evan did not breathe for seven minutes and there were worries of brain damage. In addition, Amy ruptured an artery in her uterus, causing Mickelson to worry about the health of both his wife and his son. Fortunately, both survived the difficult birth.
That wasn’t the only time Amy’s health has been in the news, however, as she revealed in 2009 that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Mickelson announced that he would be suspending his participation in PGA Tour play at the time to be with his wife, though she urged him to rejoin the tour soon after.
There was huge support among the golf community for Amy, including fan favorite John Daly wearing pink pants and the Tour holding a “pink out” at events. Amy missed attending her husband’s events for a full year but returned during the 2010 Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia to watch as her husband won the famed Green Jacket. Viewers will recall the emotional hug between Phil and Amy as he left the 18th green after sinking the winning putt.
Amy beat her cancer diagnosis after an 11-month battle and has a clean bill of health. Due to her fight with cancer, Amy and her husband have used their considerable net worth to become heavily involved with philanthropic efforts dedicated to breast cancer.
Phil and Amy are truly the picture perfect family of the PGA Tour and we hope to see the presence of the Mickelson family around the tour for years to come.
About Christopher Diaz
Christopher is an avid golfer who calls Miami home. As a Phil Mickelson fan, he set up this website as an informational portal for all other fans of "Lefty." He also occasionally reviews equipment and golf training programs, but admits he'd rather be on the course than anywhere.