In a short two months, Phil Mickelson’s wife and mother both diagnosed with breast cancer.

The American took several weeks off the tour to care for his family, returning at the St. Jude Classic tournament in Tennessee the week before the U.S.Open.

Mickelson said before the U.S. Open in June that doctors had found Amy's cancer early, and the prognosis of a full recovery was good. "I am so lucky to be married to her," Mickelson said. "She has made my life so fulfilling and enriching. With that being said, obviously we are going through a tough time right now. We are fortunate that we believe we caught it early that we don't have to rush into decisions and can make some good long-term decisions, decisions that will help us beat this quickly."

In July, Mickelson's mother was also diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent treatment at the same hospital as Amy Mickelson. Phil Mickelson would later decide to skip the British Open in order to be with his family, ending a streak of 61 straight major tournament appearances. He would return to action in time to play at the PGA Championship, where he finished 73rd. The second-ranked American would later win the Tour Championship in Atlanta, help the United States win the Presidents Cup, and would win the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai.

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Memories of Woods's dramatic playoff win at the 2008 U.S. Open spurred hopes he would repeat as champion in 2009. But just like The Masters, Woods finished tied for sixth, this time behind American Lucas Glover, a soft-spoken Southerner who captured his first major at New York's Bethpage Black public course in June.