Amazing Golf Deals at GolfBargainOffers.com

Woods - praise for Mickelson

GolfBargainOffers.com / 06/17

World number one Woods emerged a three-stroke victor in 2002 US Open but it was second-placed Mickelson who had the majority of the New York crowd on his side during a raucous week as he sought an elusive first major title.

World number two Mickelson will again be the centre of attention on Long Island as he returns to major play for the first time since his wife, Amy, was diagnosed with breast cancer last month.

"Is it easy? No, it's not easy," Woods said. "When my dad was sick, that's kind of the natural progression anyway.

"Your parents are supposed to pass away before you. And God forbid how they get sick or how it ends.

"But to have a spouse, you're supposed to go together. I couldn't imagine dealing with what he has to deal with on a daily basis.

"And hats off to how he's handled it because certainly it's so hard to do.

"Everywhere you go people are reminding you of it, and you can't get away from it. And you think that the golf course would be your escape, but it's not.

"You're surrounded by people wishing you well the entire time and hoping everything works out. But then again, they keep reminding you of the same circumstance you're dealing with on a daily basis, and you just can't get away from it.

"It's hard, and I don't know how they're doing it. But certainly it's difficult."

Though Woods has experience of having to deal with personal grief in a very public setting following the death of his father, Earl, in 2006, the defending champion acknowledged that their circumstances were very different. 

| Golf News |      | Golf Pros |