Lefty Keeping a Clear Head ... For Now

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- Fifth hole, second round of the day. Phil Mickelson tees off, and some guy yells "God Bless you, Phil." Mickelson starts walking toward his ball, and hears, "Let's Go, Phil."

He grins slightly, gives an awkward thumbs up. Then, he hits his second shot up the hill, and everyone down where he was, including me, had no idea where the shot went. We stood quietly, watched Mickelson ... waited ...

And the crowd up on the green went nuts. So the whole group down below decided to go nuts, too. "WAY TO GO, PHIL" some guy with a drink yelled, walking out onto the fairway toward Mickelson until security stopped him.

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This is the Life of Phil now, as New York sports fans, some of the toughest fans anywhere, have taken up golf-fanning for a few days at the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, and I think they're here mostly to nurse Phil along. They already loved him here, but now, after his wife, Amy, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, well, they feel for him, too.

"It's not like they whisper it," he said, when he was done for the day, having played 29 holes and stopping for darkness. He was 1-under, five strokes behind leader Lucas Glover, who is in over his head. But Mickelson is wrong. On the 7th hole, as Mickelson was about to tee off, I did hear one man whisper to another:

"I feel so privileged right now."

Yes, they're whispering, yelling as he goes to the range, cheering everywhere he is. And Mickelson keeps giving back. He fist-bumped a bunch of fans as he walked from the fifth green to the sixth tee.

Earlier, he high-fived fans, did more fist-bumping, waved, smiled, gave the thumbs up.

Meanwhile, the fans here are almost souring on Tiger Woods, who is all business, and not mingling. You can respect the work ethic, but in this place, a public golf course with a different type of crowd than what golf usually produces, Mickelson's reactions are making the fans feel as if he's one of them.

Mickelson is the hero here and now, and for all his great career, he always falls short of superstardom.

If he wins here, that changes.

"I just need to make a few putts," he said. "If that happens, I'll have a good chance at winning."

But he's the great mystery here, too. How will he handle things? Will he be unable to find the focus to fight? Will his mind wander? Through 13 holes Friday, he was 3-under, and on the leaderboard. Then, he missed consecutive short putts.

Aha! The mind was wandering?

Nope. Following him around Friday, I kept looking for clues, a little extra fire, or maybe an over-reaction to bad news.

The most I can say is that he looks tired. He mixed with the crowd, but was not enthusiastic. He was polite. There is too much going on in Mickelson's brain.

"Hang on, Phil," someone yelled.


He came here to get his mind off of Amy's sickness. The golf course has always been his place of refuge, and it has to be better than spending his mornings, noons and nights wallowing.

But he kept the mystery, gave away nothing. He wore a pink ribbon on his hat, in support of Amy. But for now, he held on, held on, held on, and looked worn out.

Still, he was close to his usual self, really, all over the place, in trouble and then powering out. But on the second hole, second round, this was it. Meltdown time?

He sliced in to the ridiculously tall rough. If my lawn were that tall, the neighbors would call the cops. So he decided to play safe -- Phil? Safe? -- and just punch the ball back onto the fairway. Instead, he caught the ball a little too much and went over the fairway into the tall stuff on the other side. Now, he decided to go for the big shot.

Oh no. Enough is enough. Just swing hard, out of control. Who could blame him? He blasted, and it was brilliant, just off the green. Putted within 2 feet and then ...

Missed. Double-bogey.

Implosion? Nope.

I have the same feeling when I'm watching John Daly, hearing a ticking bomb and waiting for the kaboom.

Where is Mickelson's head? There are so many theories on this. And while I thought going into the tournament that he would not be able to put aside his thoughts, seeing him in person changed all of that.

Here's the amateur psychologist in me, I guess. But he isn't going to forget Amy, and probably doesn't want to. The golf course is where he finds his rhythm, where he controls things best, where he is comfortable.

That's what he wants. And when the fans give him pats on the back, that's not a disturbing reminder, but instead a loving hug of support. I believe he is in the perfect position to win this tournament. But his mind was already the question, even before Amy's sickness. He has crumbled under the pressure of majors, of Woods. He has gotten close, and then pulled some boneheaded move.

But those pressures cannot be on him now, even though Amy said told him she wanted a U.S. Open cup in her hospital room when she starts treatment in July.

Mickelson is always there to let fans down in the end, though. So it's only a guess as to what he'll do this time.

His head hasn't gotten in the way yet, but it usually hasn't by now, anyway. This could be it. But keep listening for that ticking sound.

(Like what you read here? Follow me on twitter: @gregcouch)