Phil's Going to Play After All

Phil Mickelson's doctor ordered Lefty to stay in bed on Monday and Tuesday to rest from congestive symptoms that he has apparently had since OCTOBER. (Really?) Anyway, last night, Lefty made it official that he will be playing in the Buick Invitational this week at Torrey Pines.

Mickelson is participating in the pro-am today at a god awful 6:42am in order to compete in the event. Curiously enough, Tod Leonard over at the San Diego Union-Tribune notes that Mickelson has to compete in the pro-am in order to play in the event according to PGA Tour rules. That is funny considering that he also notes that exceptions can be made. Even funnier is that Mickelson received one of those exemptions last year when he chose not to play in the Byron Nelson Championship pro-am in order to attend a personal appearance in (I believe) Alabama. He also received an exemption in 2001 after suffering from horrible food poisoning.

Back to feeling sick since October, though. TR Reinman, a Mickelson rep over at Gaylord Sports Management, said that he became ill and suffered respiratory symptoms after returning to his San Diego home after the wildfires to clean up the debris. Still, doctors cannot pinpoint the condition Mickelson has. Very odd, but surely more to follow.