This dude can't be for real. He's got to be some sort of fictional character.

	Bob Donaldson, Post-Gazette
	Jim Weathers, masseuse to Phil Mickelson (and other golfers) works on a client on the practice putting greenr at the US Open at Oakmont County Club Click photo for larger image. Listen In: Listen to an extended interview with healer Jim Weathers who spoke yesterday with the PG's Colin Dunlap about his untraditional methods for treating athletes' ailments: Listen to the entire interview

There was that near-death experience in 1986 when he was buried alive and then dropped on his head from 20 feet during the rescue attempt.

There also was that time eight years ago when a session of weightlifting ended in a broken neck. How about that nighttime parachuting accident he had in Japan while in the service, or his battle with fetal alcohol syndrome right out of the womb, or his relationship with a blind 85-year-old Japanese woman who served as his muse?

And, oh yeah, he's also a Shaman.

Meet Jim Weathers, perhaps the most intriguing man at the U.S. Open this week at Oakmont.

Sure, there's that Tiger guy. And there's Lefty, Monty, and Sergio, each with a story to tell, each with experiences that helped them arrive here.

But this Shiatsu Master/reflexologist specialist to golf's elite ... his personal story seems to dwarf any of the ones told by men wielding golf clubs in their hands.

The first thing one notices about Weathers are those massive biceps, forcing every inch of fabric on his shirt to perform to its maximum potential and boasting a large 'Green Beret' tattoo.

Then there's that stuff Weathers, 45, does with his hands as he applies them to these professional golfers. Sometimes it is a soft karate-chop motion, sometimes he takes a single finger and forcefully prods it against a player's skin.

"Almost like a chiropractor would do with bone, I do with muscle," Weathers explained. "And then, great things happen."

Weathers' arrangement with players on tour is a unique one, as he is under agreement with more than a dozen at any time. The players take turns picking up Weathers' expenses and arranging for his travel.

Yesterday, Weathers stood on the practice green and meticulously watched Phil Mickelson (he of the much publicized wrist problem) go through putting drills. Mickelson is one of the players who entrusts Weathers with his aches.

Asked if his rehabilitation with Weathers involves electrical stimulation, Mickelson coolly said, "Not exactly, but kind of."

Weathers, who also has worked with NASCAR drivers, rodeo contestants and drummers, said his work helped Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox avoid carpal tunnel surgery. He has been working with PGA Tour golfers for five years.

The secret, Weathers admits, is something that he can feel. Something taught to him in Japan by a blind, 85-year-old healer named Goshi Namiami.

"When your body gets into what they call, 'the zone' there is energy coming out of your feet and I know it is a good thing when I am working with one of my players and I feel heat coming out of them," Weathers said. "Take Phil [Mickelson] for example at The Players Championship [last month]. Before he went out and played that morning, the heat that was coming out of him almost burned me."

Mickelson won the title with an 11-under score.

The key to his success, the reason these millionaires let this burly man contort their bodies, simply comes down to a trust they have with him.

"They are all million dollar babies. That is what I call them," Weathers said. "And they are not going to just let anybody touch them."

Weathers, with all his life experiences, all the ups and downs and all the strife -- is hardly just anybody.

"... Before he went out and played that morning, the heat that was coming out of him almost burned me."

-- Jim Weathers, on the energy Phil Mickelson had before winning The Players Championship last month