Phil Mickelson defeated a loaded field to win his first Open Championship this past weekend at Muirfield, but that is not what makes him such an extraordinary individual. No athlete comes to mind with such a perfect work-life balance. One might argue that being a professional golfer makes this a lot easier, and that argument could be perfectly valid. However, the degree to which Mickelson has his priorities in order is amazing. The heartfelt embrace that he shared with his wife and children after his victory explained everything one needs to know about Mickelson.

He arrived on the red eye right before the US Open last month, eschewing valuable practice time, because he had refused to miss his daughters 8th grade graduation. In 1999 he played the US Open with a pager on in case his wife went into labor during the tournament, knowing full well that he would leave the course immediately to be with her. He suspended his tournament schedule indefinitely to be with his wife when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009. These are only a few obvious examples of his devotion to his family.

This is one of the greatest golfers in the world, one of the best of all time, who understands what is truly important. There is nothing as significant in life as one’s family, in my opinion. I feel blessed any time I get the opportunity to spend time with my parents, brother, or sister. Yet, it seems that I don’t get to spend as much time with them as I’d like because of other responsibilities. Phil is a shining example of the fact that one doesn’t need to sacrifice this time spent with family to succeed in other areas of life. It is refreshing to see someone who is an amazing athlete but even a better man.

Hakuna Matata