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By Joel Beall
Phil Mickelson knows how to play to a crowd, so it’s not surprising the 48-year-old’s long-awaited introduction to Twitter incited its share of commotion. Also not surprising: Mickelson’s social-media tenor has been…well, that of a 48-year-old. From his first message to the orchestrated banter between he and Tiger Woods, the five-time major winner’s account has been the embodiment of a “dad joke.”

Which raises a question: how do Mickelson’s kids feel about his new endeavor?

As one can imagine, not great.

“They are nervous,” Mickelson said to laughter during the Northern Trust. “And they should be, you know, rightfully so, because in time, I will mess up. I always kind of ride the line somewhere. Sometimes I cross it. Sometimes not.

“But it’s going to be fun. I think it’s going to be fun. I’ll give it a few weeks, see how it goes, but right now it’s been really fun.”

Got to feel for Phil’s kids. Let he who hasn’t been embarassed by their parents cast the first stone, after all. But give the man credit: it’s not like he’s ignoring their plight.

“I’m really trying to leave them out of it,” Mickelson said. “I know I want to respect their privacy, too, but this is a fun way for me to be involved directly without…I don’t need to drag them into it.”

We’re sure that doesn’t make the Mickelson kin breathe any easier—especially since Mickelson asserted an Instagram account is not far on the horizon. That being said, if they’ve survived the wave of Mickelson dance memes, we’re sure they can handle whatever Phil has in store.