Another Mickelson on Scene
A woman with a familiar name will be part of the Golf Channel crew covering the Champions Tour SBC Classic, which begins today at Valencia Country Club.
Tina Mickelson will be making her debut as a Golf Channel reporter. She is the sister of Phil Mickelson, although she doesn't like to be introduced that way.
"It's very important to me to be known as Tina Mickelson, not 'Phil's sister,' " she said during a phone interview. "My identity is unique to me, my identity is not who I am related to.
"I understand, with being related to someone like Phil, there comes that association, and that's OK. However, it is important to me to show people who I am, aside from who I am related to."
Tina Mickelson is an upbeat person with a personality fit for television. She knows a lot about golf, having been an instructor for years in San Diego.
A communications major at UC San Diego, she has been in broadcasting since 1998, when program director Bill Pugh began using her on XTRA (690).
She also writes a syndicated golf-tip column for Copley News Service and does a weekly golf-tip segment for San Diego's KUSI, Channel 9.
After she'd made an appearance on the Golf Channel's "Academy Live" last summer, program director Tony Tortorici offered her a job as a reporter on the Champions Tour. Tortorici wanted her for 26 weeks, but Mickelson balked at that. She eventually agreed to 12 weeks, with Donna Caponi doing the rest.
Caponi will be part of the Golf Channel's crew at next week's Toshiba Senior Classic at Newport Beach Country Club.
Mickelson said she had too many other things going on to commit to being on the road for 26 weeks. Also she was concerned about spending too much time away from her family.
"I don't have a husband or kids, but I am very close to my parents and grandparents and everyone else in my family," she said.
Another brother, Tim Mickelson, is the golf coach at UC San Diego. And you know about Phil.
"I am very proud of both my brothers," she said.
It Means Something
"There is a lot more at stake this year," said Marques Johnson before announcing the Pacific 10 Conference tournament's night games for Fox Sports Net on Thursday. "Stanford, Arizona and Washington are playing for seedings in the NCAA tournament."
