Amy Mickelson's Presence at Pebble Beach a Great Sign for Phil

Phil Mickelson joyously embraced his wife, Amy, after walking off the 18th green, and instantly sent a message to the rest of the PGA Tour that he was ready to make an assault on the No. 1 ranking. 

The embrace came after Lefty dominated the field on Sunday at Pebble Beach with a scintillating 64 to win the event by two strokes.

And in the moment of their embrace, it became clear that the recent hurdles in Lefty's life have been crossed and he is ready to shred courses and victories to his impressive tally. 

The Mickelson's Battle with Cancer

Phil has been assaulted by several physical obstacles in recent years, but the one his wife has faced has caused the most heartache and grief. 

Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2009. This led Phil to take a temporary leave of absence from golf. Luckily, the cancer had been diagnosed in the early stages and her prognosis was good. 

Phil returned to golf, but did so while knowing his wife was undergoing treatment and surgery. Prior to that, Amy was a constant presence at Phil's tournaments. 

Amy made a triumphant return to the course in 2010, and was there to watch him win the Masters that year. 

She was still not back to full health though, and did not walk the course with Phil until just over a year ago. 

This, and Phil's battle with psoriatic arthritis, undoubtedly took a toll on Phil's game. He had less time to devote to practice, and he suffered through a sub-par 2011 season.

The Promise of Phil's Renewed Commitment 

Now Mickelson is ready to put these issues in the rear-view-mirror and attack the 2012 golf season. 

He struggled in his first three events, having failed to crack the top-20 and missing one cut. This led to him flying in his swing coach Butch Harmon to tweak his swing, and the results were immediate. 

His ability to work on his game led to the big victory and the embrace with his wife, and that sent a message that he once again is ready to be a force on the PGA.