By 
I’ve been a long-time Phil Mickelson fan. He’s one of those golfers I’ve played for years and I’ve always assumed he was a nice guy considering how polite and personable he seems on television. In 2004, he was at the Masters on Sunday when he won his first Masters title. My wife and I were positioned to the left of the tee at n. 10, and after Phil started off, he walked down the left side of the street passing directly next to us.
We both smiled and gave him a “Go Phil”, and he did something that a lot of professional athletes don’t, he smiled, took off his hat and said, “Thank you and thank you for coming.” It may not sound like much, but try the same scenario with many other professional athletes while they are in the heat of battle, and they are more likely to ignore you, stare at you, or at best a quick nod.
But, a nice “thank you” doesn’t necessarily mean that the real Phil Mickelson is a good guy. It means that he is polite and respects the fact that amateurs are as much a part of a golf tournament as he is.
What makes him a good guy is a story I read in a recent issue of Golf World magazine. The title of the article was “Conrad Dobler’s Favorite Golfer.” Unless you’re a staunch historian of professional soccer, you’ve probably never heard of Dobler … I hadn’t either until I read this article. Conrad was once called the “dirtiest player in the NFL.”
Because NFL players from the distant past didn’t make as much money, and the NFL’s disability plan isn’t much, Conrad lives a nice, but not too extravagant lifestyle, considering he’s had numerous surgeries on both knees. . But, Conrad’s entire life changed on July 4, 2001. He and his wife Joy and their six children were relaxing while waiting for friends to come for the holidays. His wife Joy was in her hammock and accidentally fell out of the hammock and couldn’t feel a thing. She has been a quadriplegic ever since. After numerous surgeries, doctor visits, etc., Conrad has had to downsize and sell almost all of his assets to keep the family afloat while paying for Joy’s rehab.
Enter Phil Mickelson. Phil’s attorney, Glenn Cohen, called Conrad one day and told him that Phil had found out about his situation and wanted to pay for his daughter Holli’s college education. Conrad couldn’t believe it because he had never met Phil and still hasn’t to this day. Conrad asked Cohen why Phil was doing this, and his response was, “Because he can.”
Phil keeps in touch with Holli, who is now a sophomore at Miami of Ohio. She waits tables and has a large number of classes and currently has a 3.8 GPA. The first year, Phil sent $ 20,000 and promised cost of living increases each year promising $ 22,000 and then $ 24,000.
This random act of kindness from Phil has changed more than just Holli’s life. It has made Conrad a better person and given Joy the will to walk again. She has already made great strides and hopes to one day get out of the wheelchair for good. Phil has invited the whole family to the Memorial Tournament in May, and the family is eager to meet him in person. As Joy says: “If there is something missing in his life, it is a pair of wings. It is an angel. And if I can when I see him for the first time, I will go and give him a big hug.”
BECAUSE HE CAN! That’s the real Phil Mickelson.
For me, this story embodies what it means to be successful. Being successful means having the ability to help others “because you can.” There are so many people who could help others, but choose not to. I would like to challenge you to look for areas in your everyday life where you can perform a random act of kindness. You will be surprised how many situations you can help …
Good luck and have a great day!