Shaun Micheel was the heartache of the U.S. Open. Micheel's mother was diagnosed with cancer in April 2009. Now in the final stages of her cancer, which has spread from her lungs to her liver, spine, and brain, Donna watched her son from the hospital.
“I think about her a lot” Micheel said, keeping his emotions tight despite his obvious heartache. “I’m really playing for her, and it’s nice to play for somebody else.” Micheel was referring to when he used to play for the fame, glory and money. Micheel’s wife Stephanie, and even his caddie, were not as strong, both of whom teared up at the mention of Donna.
Micheel had an excellent first day in the tournament and took the lead with an early birdie on day two of the Open at prestigious Pebble Beach. The shot on the 11th hole moved him to three under par and one stroke ahead of day one leaders Paul Casey and Brendon de Jong.
Micheel is best known for his surprise victory in 2003 in one of golf's major championships, the PGA Championship. Unlike so many pro golfers, Micheel taught himself how to play golf after his parents bought a home on a golf course in Memphis, Tennessee. He had a very patchy early career, during which he struggled to hold onto his membership on the PGA Tour.
In 2003, Micheel went into the PGA Championship ranked 169th in the Official World Golf Rankings, becoming one of the biggest underdogs to win a major in recent times. That season, he finished 32nd on the money list. In 2004, he made the top 100 on the PGA Tour money list for the second time in his career, but he did not make the move up to being a regular high finisher.
In August 2006, Micheel returned to prominence when he finished runner-up to Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship at Medinah Country Club. Micheel defeated Woods in the first round of the 2006 HSBC World Match Play Championship.
The New York Times reported that there is much Micheel could complain about: “There is the shoulder surgery that sidelined him for almost a year and caused him to lose his full-time status on tour and seek entry into European PGA Tour events. There is his lack of success in procuring sponsor’s exemptions into tournaments despite having won a major championship.” But Micheel does not whine about what odds are stacked against him, he is playing for a greater cause: ”Knowing that my mom wants me out here playing golf is comforting. And so while I’m able to do it, while she’s able to really encourage me to be out here, I’m going to give it 100 percent.”
Micheel played great on his second day, despite having been bogged down with existential and philosophical quarries. “I often wondered is it better to lose someone quickly, never get the opportunity to spend that time with them? How would you handle that? Or is it better to have this time and share it with her and share it with your family and get to, I don’t know, maybe say your last goodbyes? I don’t know.”
“I’m scared to death for my mom. I’m scared to death of my own impending demise, at some point in my life. I have two young children that are still trying to get to know my mom.”
Micheel describes himself as internalizing everything, so the golfer is taking a big step opening up to the world about his personal life. “It just makes me feel a lot better to just kind of get it out there and not keep things bottled up.”
Micheel finished this year's U.S. Open in 22nd place alongside other golfers, Mallinger, Harrington, Garcia, and Cabrera.
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