If Phil Mickelson and his wife were given a nickel every time they faced a challenge and tackled it gracefully, they would have quite some nickels by now. Phil Mickelson and his wife Amy Mickelson go way back to the 90s when they were just two college students and Lefty was still trying to make a name in the industry. While their story was no short of a fairytale, the couple has faced their fair share of drastic challenges.

The golfer has three children: Amanda Isabel Mickelson was born in 1999 the day after he came second in the US Open, Sophia Brynn Mickelson was born in 2001 and their youngest child Evan was born in 2003. But what was challenging was Evan’s birth. The golfer was worried that it was a bump in their journey that he would never be able to overcome.

Phil Mickelson recalled his son ‘didn’t breathe for seven minutes’

Nothing can be more gut-wrenching than the thought of losing your loved ones, and that was exactly what the golfer was going through on March 23, 2003. Their son’s delivery was no short of complicated, and while giving birth, Amy suffered from a major artery rupture in her uterus.

The golfer recalled the whole incident, saying, “I didn’t really get into it too much, but Amy had a very dangerous delivery with the birth of Evan.” And it all didn’t just end there because their son was always having a hard time pulling it through after his delivery. “He had a very difficult delivery, too. He didn’t breathe for seven minutes, and had the emergency nurses not been there with the equipment ready, he might have had some severe brain damage or other circumstances,” said the golfer per Heavy.com.

No one can imagine what Mickelson might be going through in those moments. The golfer was worried sick that he may end up losing his wife and his third baby. “They had to stop a six-inch tear in a major artery, or I would have been without my wife,”  said the golfer.

Amanda’s birth was a blissful moment for the couple. The 6x major winner was there to pull her out and cut the cord. Amy marks her first daughter’s birth as one of the m ost spiritual moments of her life. “What Phil and I feel about having a child when you are with the right person — it was such an amazing moment as a couple. Such a beautiful, bonding moment. I remember never feeling anything close to that in my life,” Amy said in an interview posted on the PGA Tour website.

Amanda is now studying at Brown University, and her younger sister wishes to pursue a career in acting. Sophia also is fond of dancing, learning ballet, and contemporary. Thankfully it all worked out for the better, and now Evan Samuel Mickelson is healthy and happy. But the black clouds followed the couple till 2009 when Amy was diagnosed with cancer.

Phil Mickelson and his wife’s journey through cancer

Rumors were going around in 2009 that Phil Mickelson and Amy had gotten a divorce because of Amy’s lack of presence at the golf tournaments. But it was because of something people would’ve never expected. Amy had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

At the time, PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem expressed his feelings on the matter and said, “We are saddened by the news of Amy Mickelson’s diagnosis but are hopeful that with the support of Phil and her family and friends, she will come through this difficult time. The thoughts and prayers of everyone connected with the PGA Tour are with the Mickelson family.”

A lot of people, including Mickelson, wore hats with pink ribbons on them to support Amy’s bravery in dealing with cancer. And she eventually made it through and is now a cancer survivor. Their determination and support for each other is really something special, and we mean, there’s a reason people love the pair.

Amy has been attending golf tournaments ever since she got better, and the fans believe it works like a charm for the golfer. Do you agree with this? Let us know in the comment section below!