Bloomberg News Service

Phil Mickelson said he will play in this week's U.S. Open with a painful left wrist that probably would sideline the world's second-ranked golfer if the tournament wasn't a major championship.

Mickelson, the runner-up to Geoff Ogilvy at last year's event, said at a news conference today that rest and treatment with a cortisone shot left him able to play. The U.S. Open, the year's second major golf championship, starts in two days at Oakmont Country Club.

The left-hander practiced sparingly over nine holes today with an elastic brace wrapped around his wrist. He didn't attempt to hit any shots out of the course's 5-inch-deep rough.

"It's certainly not the way I wanted to be coming into this tournament," Mickelson said in a news conference. "I have concerns, but I'm going to do the best I can."

Mickelson had the shot last week in an effort to alleviate the pain and allow him to compete in the Open. The three-time major title winner pulled out of the past two U.S. PGA Tour events after hurting his wrist while practicing last month at Oakmont, near Pittsburgh.

If it wasn't the U.S. Open, Mickelson said, he probably would have sat out another week. He said that during dinner last night, he jokingly tried to convince David Fay, the executive director of the sponsoring U.S. Golf Association, to delay the tournament.

"He wasn't very receptive to the idea," Mickelson said.

Fairways

Because the injury hurts the most when he attempts to hit jarring chip shots out of deep grass, Mickelson said, his best chances for success will depend on his ability to hit straight tee shots.

"I probably won't be pain-free like I had hoped, but I should be able to have it be manageable as long as I don't aggravate it or hit in the rough," Mickelson said. "But, I don't plan on hitting it in the rough."

Mickelson smiled when he said that. He lost the Open last year when he hit shots off a hospitality tent and a tree on the final hole.

Before the injury, Mickelson had three straight top-three finishes, including a victory at the Players Championship, since switching to swing coach Butch Harmon, Tiger Woods's former instructor. Mickelson's win at the Players Championship was the 31st PGA Tour title of his career.