US Open is more than Golf

I won’t lie, I don’t really know how this whole blogging thing works.  I’ve never been a part of a blog before.  The closest thing I have done is act as the editor of the opinions section of my collegiate newspaper.  “Act” is the key word in that sentence. Yet, despite these things, here I am, pretending to be an authority on things going on around the world.  Oh well, maybe some sucker out there might listen to me.

Picking a topic for an initial post is actually quite a large a decision.  On one hand (assuming people will actually be reading this) you want to write about something you know a great deal about so you seem credible in the future.  On the other hand, it’s important to write about something that people will actually care about and therefore keeps them coming back for more.

I really didn’t want to write about sports.  I talk about them enough as is with friends and coworkers, but being that the blog is being created the weekend of the United States’ Open and being that I am an avid golfer I don’t really think I have a choice.  It won’t only be about golf though.  See, this year’s Open is about more than just golf.  This year’s Open is about more than traditional sportsmanship.  This year’s Open is about family and what makes the PGA Tour the greatest organization of professional athletes in the entire world.

Let me start by saying this:  I don’t like Phil Mickelson.  There are not many things I gain greater pleasure from than watching Tiger Woods beat him.  Not many things have made my laugh harder than when we imploded on the 72nd hole at Shinnecock Hills.

Let me continue by saying this:  I love Tiger Woods.  Him, along with Sergio Garcia, John Senden, and Adam Scott makeup my favorite professional golfers in the world.  This is mainly based on their golf swings which I aspire to mold together to form into one unstoppable force of ball striking.  Watching any one of these men beat Phil Mickelson makes for a perfect Sunday afternoon as far as I’m concerned.

This year though, things are a little bit different.  Not long ago, Phil’s wife Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer and it is widely assumed that this could be his last major, let alone tournament of the year.  As much as I don’t like the guy, I do like the competition he adds to the Tour and I would never wish the hardships his family will endure in the coming months upon anyone.  Amy has been quoted as saying that she wants the trophy in her hospital room when she has surgery a few weeks down the line and any fan of golf knows that Mickelson will be doing everything he can to deliver it to her in the coming days.

These events have shown what makes the PGA Tour the great organization that it is. Players and officials have thrown their hearts at Mickelson in support.  Even his rival and usually stone-faced Tiger Woods has given some public statements in the days leading up to the opening round.  Lefty is really wearing his heart on his sleeve here and I think that there are some lessons we could all learn from in that respect.

That being said, you probably think I’m about to jump up on the Mickelson bandwagon and hope for him to be at the top of the heap come Sunday (weather permitting) night.  That could not be further from the truth though.  I don’t think Phil would want that.  Tiger certainly didn’t ask for it after his father died… he just went out on the course and won it for Earl.

I think Phil would want me to keep cheering against him.  I think that he thrives on that stuff, as many of the best athletes in the world do.  So go Tiger.  Go Sergio.  Go Adam.

Then again though, if it is Phil that is left standing at the end I can say for once that I won’t be the least bit upset with the outcome of this year’s Open.  So while I still will cheer for my normal favorites at Bethpage, I won’t be upset if Amy wakes up from her surgery with that trophy staring her in the face.