MEMPHIS, TN – JUNE 12: Phil Mickelson plays a shot on the 13th hole during the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Classic at TPC Southwind on June 12, 2016 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Phil Mickelson has always earned his reputation as a family man, and his announcement that he’ll likely be skipping this year’s U.S. Open to attend his daughter’s graduation is just the latest example.

The U.S. Open remains the only major Mickelson hasn’t won, and as he turns 47 on June 16th (Friday of the tournament, actually), it’s fair to wonder just how many legitimate chances Mickelson has to complete the career grand slam.

Mickelson has to realize that too, but if you take him at his word, he’s very much at peace with the decision:

Mickelson said he has not officially withdrawn from the tournament, which begins June 15 at Erin Hills in Wisconsin, and will wait closer to the event to do so, barring some change that would allow him to play.

“I wanted to make sure they had enough notice to accommodate it,” said Mickelson, who said he called United States Golf Association executive director Mike Davis to inform him of his plans. “So that’s why I’m saying something today, but it doesn’t look good for me playing. But I’m really excited about this moment in our family’s life.”

Amanda, who turns 18 this month, is Mickelson and wife Amy’s oldest child. She will be giving the commencement speech June 15, which is the first day of the U.S. Open.

As you just read, Mickelson is not completely ruling out the event; in 2013, he flew from Pennsylvania to California for a family event as well, making it back the night before the first round. Should something similar present itself, look for Phil to do just that. (It helps to have a private plane.)

One has to wonder, though, whether Phil didn’t look at the calendar? He couldn’t have given a few hundred grand in donations to the school to get them to hold the commencement on a Wednesday?

Regardless, it’s an impressive commitment to principle for Mickelson, who has always put family first. The only major he’s missed since 1994 was the 2009 British Open, which he skipped as his wife was battling breast cancer. Phil’s still competitive in majors too; at last year’s British Open, Mickelson dueled Henrick Stenson to the finish, turning in by some measures one of the top major championships in history, only to finish second.

He’s also had a decent start to this year as well, and it’s fair to guess he might have been competitive at Erin Hills. But then no one really knows, especially since this is a new venue; had this year’s U.S. Open been at, say, Pebble Beach or Torrey Pines, Mickelson might have been more eager to try and make it work, since he knows the course so well. (Though those courses would be in California anyway, which would have added another level of simplicity.)

Hopefully something happens to let Phil compete, though if he doesn’t, it’ll be perhaps the best example yet of Mickelson walking the walk when it comes to his family.

[ESPN]

About Jay Rigdon

Jay is a columnist at Awful Announcing. He is not a strong swimmer. He is probably talking to a dog in a silly voice at this very moment.