It has been 33 years since Phil Mickelson turned pro. He started off slow, but ended up having a glorious career packed with a lot of success. Throughout his prime, Mickelson was linked with one man who pushed him to take his game to the next level. Speaking about Tiger Woods, the LIV Golf pro said, “He brought out the best in me and forced me to work harder and focus to ultimately achieve the success that I’ve had.” While Woods may have helped him unlock his potential on the course, someone else guided Mickelson to find his happiness off it.

33 years ago, around the time when he turned pro, Phil also met his future wife, Amy, according to Bunkered. He was still only 22, and both of them were studying at Arizona State University back then. It didn’t take long for the LIV Golf veteran to realize he had already fallen for her. Mickelson said, “I knew within 10 minutes that she was the woman he was going to marry,” as he spoke to his caddie, ‘Jim Bones’ MacKay, about Amy. That was only the beginning of their love story.

Within the next four years, Amy and Phil Mickelson decided to tie the knot. The couple got married on November 19, 1996. As they are closing in on their 29th anniversary, they have enjoyed a beautiful life together. They have raised three great children over the years.

Phil and Amy’s oldest, Amanda Brynn Mickelson, was born on Jun 21, 1999. She majored in Egyptology at Brown University and has pursued a career away from the golf course. Their second child, Sophia Isabel Mickelson, was born on October 23, 2001. While she may not be an athlete like her father, Sophia has pursued a career in ballet and contemporary dancing. She has also acted in a movie from 2019 called Ruta Madre. Phil and Amy’s lastborn is Evan Samuel Mickelson. Born on March 23, 2003, he is the only one of the Mickelson family who has shown interest in golf. Evan has played in the minor leagues in the past.

As great as their life seems right now, things haven’t always been great for the Mickelson family. They have had to deal with hardships that could have broken them apart. Let’s take a look at a moving chapter in their life that put every one of them through a lot of stress.

Phil Mickelson & his family nearly suffered a major loss

Everything was going well for the Mickelsons until they received a tragic update. On May 20, 2009, Phil & Amy Mickelson announced that the latter was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent a major surgery in the coming weeks. Everything that followed was filled with a lot of struggle and hardships as Amy slowly and painfully progressed towards recovery. However, the dark chapter took a toll on Phil as he expressed his mental state during a PGA Tour event.

Speaking in a press conference during the FedEx St. Jude Classic, Mickelson said, “I’ve never felt this emotional. I’ve never been this emotional, where if I’m driving alone or what have you, I’ll just start crying.” Everything that was going on back home had clearly drained Phil Mickelson of all his energy. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that he finished T59 in the event. However, the champion golfer that he is, he immediately found focus again, either to reset his goals or maybe distract himself from the pain, and finished T2 in the 2009 U.S. Open. While she may be in pain back home, Amy must have been cheering her husband on as she continued on her road to recovery.