Sports

Family matters: Hard to criticize Mickelson for putting daughter first

ARDMORE, Pa. — Phil Mickelson knows you think he’s crazy and he’s cool with that.

When word surfaced Tuesday Mickelson left Merion to fly back to California to attend the eighth-grade graduation of his daughter, Amanda, and planned to fly back late Wednesday night to be back to the course in time for his 7:11 a.m. opening-round tee time Thursday, eyes rolled and eyebrows were raised.

Mickelson’s bold decision was a naysayer’s delight, providing a free buffet for his critics on which to pounce.

How could he possibly be prepared to play a U.S. Open with all that flying and no practice rounds played? What kind of commitment is that?

Mickelson, reached by The Post via text message, made two things clear: Family always comes first for him and his game is in good order.

“My game is sharp!’’ Mickelson wrote in a text. “This is the best U.S. Open setup I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait to play.’’

Mickelson came to Merion for two days of practice rounds early last week before playing in the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis, where he finished tied for second. And he believes that prepared him better than anything he was going to do this week.

He was at Merion on Monday, when the course was closed twice because of torrential rain, and decided to fly home to practice and then go to the graduation, which he always had planned to attend.

Mickelson traditionally never plays a practice round on site on the Wednesday before a major, preferring to play somewhere else in the area away from the circus of the big event. So he would not have been at Merion yesterday anyway, likely playing instead at nearby Pine Valley.

As for flying back and forth across the country, Mickelson’s private jet is more luxurious and has more amenities than most people’s homes, so his flying is not the burden flying is for the rest of us who have to stand in long security lines and be jammed into crowded planes.

Nevertheless, critics of Mickelson will be lying in wait to see what he shoots. If he struggles and posts a 78, let the criticism roll.

Anyone criticizing someone for putting family first is wrong on a number of levels, beginning with whose business it is in the first place.

Fourteen years ago at the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, Mickelson, still in pursuit of his first major championship victory and weighed down with that “best player never to win a major’’ label, was about to play the final round in contention to win while his wife, Amy, was pregnant with their first child.

He made his intentions clear that he was wearing a pager (remember those?) and if he got the word that she went into labor and was ready to deliver he would immediately withdraw to be with her.

He was called out by some critics as being crazy to do that.

Amy Mickelson went into labor during that final round but did not inform Phil, who finished runner-up to Payne Stewart that day. She delivered their first child, Amanda, the next day and Phil was with her for the delivery.

Wednesday about a half-hour north of San Diego, Amanda Mickelson graduated from eighth grade and was a featured speaker at the event with both of her parents in the audience.

Go ahead. Criticize that.