Mickelson discloses at PGA he has form of arthritis that sent him to Mayo Clinic

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Prognosis good after Lefty reveals health issue

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — Phil Mickelson is being treated for a form of arthritis that surfaced just before the U.S. Open and left him in so much pain he couldn’t walk.

Mickelson revealed Tuesday that he has psoriatic arthritis, a condition he said causes the immune system to attack the body’s joints and tendons.

“I didn’t want excuses. Second, I don’t want to discuss something when I don’t know what the outcome will be,” Mickelson said. “I feel better about it and I’m a lot more at ease about it.”

The four-time major winner, who could take over the world No. 1 ranking for the first time at the PGA Championship this week, said he woke up five days before the U.S. Open with “intense pain” in his tendons and joints that left him unable to move. He’d feel better after stretching, and he went ahead and played at Pebble Beach, where he shot 66 on Friday to put himself in contention. He wound up tied for fourth.

But the condition got progressively worse, eventually spreading to his knees, hips and elbows. After the British Open, he made a trip to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., where doctors confirmed the diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis. According to the Mayo Clinic website, the condition causes joint pain, stiffness and swelling. While there is no cure for the condition, it is manageable.

Mickelson said he is on medication, which has alleviated most of the symptoms. He’s also become a vegetarian — almost as shocking a revelation for the burger connoisseur as the illness itself.

The arthritis is the latest health scare for Mickelson, whose wife and mother are battling breast cancer.

“I’m surprised at how quickly it’s gone away, and how quickly it’s been able to be managed and controlled,” said Mickelson, who has resumed his regular practice routines. “I feel 100 percent, like I say. But when I’m laying there on the couch and I can’t move, you know, yeah, I had some concerns. But I feel a lot better now.”