Mickelson plans Colonial return

Phil Mickelson, a two-time Colonial champion who last competed in Fort Worth in 2010, will return for next week’s Dean & DeLuca Invitational.

Mickelson, a five-time major champion, notified the PGA Tour of his intentions and tournament officials in Fort Worth received the confirmation in an e-mail Monday afternoon. The tournament runs May 22-28.

“It’s pretty exciting. It’s really a pleasant surprise,” Colonial tournament director Michael Tothe said. “It’s one of those things that shows anything can happen. We got it straight from the PGA Tour, so we feel like celebrating.”

Mickelson, the No. 21 player in the world golf rankings, won Colonial titles in 2000 and 2008. He was a late scratch from the field in 2009 after his wife, Amy, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Tournament officials organized a “Pink Out” during the 2009 Colonial to honor Amy and raise awareness for the disease, a move Mickelson called “pretty cool” and “flattering.”

Mickelson returned in 2010 but missed the cut after posting rounds of 71-73. Mickelson has not competed at Colonial since missing the 2010 cut and, during a 2011 interview, he criticized course tweaks to the Colonial layout made by golf architect Keith Foster following his 2008 title.

That sentiment apparently is old news with Mickelson, 46, back on a Colonial commitment list for the first time in seven years. His addition means the Colonial field currently includes nine past champions who have combined to win 11 plaid jackets. Mickelson and Zach Johnson (2012, 2010) are the multiple winners on the updated commitment list.

The field currently features 10 of the top 30 players in the world rankings, including The Players Championship winner Si Woo Kim at No. 28. But Kim’s status could be in doubt after the 21-year-old withdrew from this week’s AT&T Byron Nelson Classic on Monday with a back injury.

Those golfers will be joined in Fort Worth by several fresh names on the latest commitment list, including top-50 players Bill Haas (No. 45), William McGirt (No. 46) and Yuta Ikeda (No. 50). By climbing into the top 80 in the world rankings with Sunday’s runner-up finish at The Players Championship, longtime European Ryder Cup stalwart Ian Poulter (No. 58) also punched his ticket to join the Colonial field.

Recent additions to the field slated to make their Colonial debuts include Ollie Schniederjans and Billy Horschel, a three-time tour winner who is No. 78 in the world rankings. Recent local additions to the field include Fort Worth resident J.J. Henry, a former TCU standout, and former SMU golfer Bryson DeChambeau.

But the highest-profile addition came from Mickelson, a move that surprised Tothe but one he called “very cool.” For ticket information, visit www.Deananddelucainvitational.com.

This story was originally published May 15, 2017 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Mickelson plans Colonial return."