That changed when the world's No. 2-ranked golfer was on the links several years ago.

J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE / Associated Press Golfer Phil Mickelson and his wife, Amy, testified before the House Education and Labor Committee regarding the state of math and science education.

“I was playing golf with a senator and congressman who were talking about how the U.S. is declining when it comes to turning out college graduates in engineering,” said Mickelson, who grew up in San Diego's Del Cerro neighborhood and now lives in Rancho Santa Fe. “It's a very big threat to us as a global leader, and I wanted to help reverse this trend.”

In the four years since that round on the links, Mickelson has established himself as an advocate for math and science education. In 2004, he launched the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy to give math and science teachers a chance to hone their skills and breathe new life into the important courses.

The academy, developed with help from the National Science Teachers Association and the nonprofit Math Solutions, is designed to give third-, fourth-and fifth-grade teachers real-world connections to the lessons they teach.

The workshops stress hands-on projects and experiments. Materials include everyday items, such as marbles, brooms and toy cars.

“The large focus was not only on the content of math and science, but also the methods that teachers use to deliver the content,” said Carol Kelley, a teacher at Kumeyaay Elementary School near Tierrasanta, who attended this summer's academy.

Some teachers participate in the classic egg-drop experiment that teaches students what it takes to drop an egg without it breaking. Another activity has them establishing the speed of a pendulum and then creating a graph to track its motion. Perhaps not surprisingly, they also discuss the force and motion in golf.

“The physics and the laws of motion that are involved in golf are fascinating,” Mickelson said.

The conferences are held in three locations across the United States. Teachers are taught to use problem-solving and inquiries as teaching tools. The workshops also provide a chance for teachers to network with colleagues from around the country.

The academy has been a hit with educators. Within its first two years, the program expanded from one weeklong session to three sessions serving more than 600 teachers a year.

Mickelson does more than just lend his name to the endeavor. He invests in the academy and visits with teachers each year to participate in a workshop or just greet the participants. The program is free to teachers and it includes the cost of lodging and transportation.

Until now, teachers have been chosen to attend the academies by designated school districts, those that either are located in cities where ExxonMobil has a presence or communities that host the PGA tour. However, the academy will begin opening 100 of its 600 conference slots to teachers from any district in the country.

Lin Kondrick, who teaches at Toler Elementary School near Mission Bay, gives the program high marks.

“So much of what we did we can bring back to the classroom,” Kondrick said. “Like the link between math and science, we don't need to treat them as separate lessons.”

As a boy growing up in San Diego, Mickelson excelled early on in both golf and school.

“I did well. I never dreaded math and science,” he said.

The academy has allowed Mickelson and his wife, Amy, to advocate for something they believe in – education. Mickelson touts the academy and math and science education in television commercials during PGA events.

The academy also has given ExxonMobil some positive press. The company has been criticized by environmentalists and some in the scientific community for fostering denial of global warming.

ExxonMobil is one of many organizations stepping up to tout math and science education, in part because other countries are churning out a higher rate of college graduates qualified to pursue jobs in those fields.

Mickelson fields frequent invitations to speak about golf. But lately his lecture circuit has included some of the nation's deep thinkers.

Mickelson recently hosted a national town hall forum at the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey. Joined by his wife, he also testified before the House Education and Labor Committee regarding the state of math and science education and the role of public-private partnerships.

Mickelson admits the days before he was to testify before Congress were “nerve-racking.”

“I'm used to hitting golf balls in front of millions of people, but speaking before Congress is something else,” he said.

Maureen Magee: (619) 293-1369; maureen.magee@uniontrib.com