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MASTERS TOURNAMENTApril 7, 2015Phil MickelsonAUGUSTA, GEORGIA MODERATOR: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, it's always a pleasure to introduce and welcome our three‑time Masters Champion Phil Mickelson to the interview room, always a strong contender in major championships. As you know, Phil finished as runner‑up in the 2014 PGA Championship. We were just talking outside, this years marks the 10th anniversary of his dramatic 2010 Masters victory. Before we take some questions, would you comment on your game as you enter this year's tournament? PHIL MICKELSON: I'm looking forward to this event, as we all are every year. It feels like the year kind of starts at this tournament, and we all loved the Masters growing up. This last year and a half has not been my best. It's been terrible (laughter). Feels like it's slowly getting better, and the last couple of weeks were a good couple of weeks for me because I got my aggressive play back, I got a lot of birdies again. That's what I kind of needed to do first to kind of get my game back is to start making birdies again. Now that I've been doing that, I've got to try and eliminate some mistakes and see if I can put it together for a good week. Last two weeks, San Antonio and Houston, I made a lot of birdies, made a lot of mistakes, made a lot of errors here and there. But the key was I had not been making a lot of birdies, and now that I'm starting to do that, the game feels like it's coming around. I don't know if it will be in time for this week. I certainly hope so. I believe it is, but we'll see. Q. I know you're not really wired like this, it's a hard to measure thing, but when you won the British, that was such a pinnacle accomplishment. Maybe this is getting too deep, but have you assessed whether there was a letdown after that, for lack of a better word? I know you want to win every week. PHIL MICKELSON: I don't know how I would phrase it, either. I could phrase it that way. I could say maybe I got a little lethargic. When I started last year, I was a little hurt and my speed wasn't where it needed to be and my back was aching and consequently it led to a terrible year. This year in the off‑season, I had a great off‑season, and I'm in the best shape that I've been in. I'm able to swing the club fast again and practice without any discomfort, pain. So I feel like I've been able to put in the work and the time to get my game back. It's come around a little bit slower than I thought it would. I really thought I would start the year out on fire and it couldn't have been further from that. But I'm excited with what's going to happen the rest of the year. I'm excited with where I see my game going. I feel that, again, it's kind of like‑‑ you have got to take baby steps. The first step for me was getting my aggressive style back, getting my focus back to make birdies, and that mental intensity that's needed to be able to get at pins and play holes properly and make birdies. But I've also, in the process these last couple weeks, thrown away a lot of shots. I've been a little careless. Gosh, what does that sound like? Doesn't sound too unfamiliar. But now that I've got the aggressive play back, now I can start to manage it a little bit better. Q. As a quick follow, is part of not being aggressive, when the results aren't coming and maybe laying back a little bit and not wanting to make a mistakeand then you've ‑‑ PHIL MICKELSON: Possibly, yeah, just playing defensive. I just haven't played with that drive to make a lot of birdies, you know, for a while. And I'm starting to feel that come back. It needs to be back for this week, and we'll see. There's not a course that I feel more comfortable on. But I always feel it's best to come into this tournament with having won some events, having been in contention, and no question, if I do play well, and I believe I will these first few rounds, I will be feeling a lot of pressure as we head into the weekend. But that's the feeling that I crave. Q. What did you see on the golf course today? How is it playing? Anything new you're adjusting to based on the way it's playing? PHIL MICKELSON: Yes, it's playing very long and it's playing soft. So I think that distance is going to be a huge element this week. And we've talk about it in the past, but the reason I think this week, especially, is that the greens are very soft and receptive, and so the longer hitters are going to be able to reach the par5s and get the ball stopped on the greens. When we have bad weather like we had in 2007, you might be able to get to the greens, but you can't keep it on the green. That really didn't help the longer hitters, and I think guys like Dustin and J.B. Holmes and Bubba Watson and Rory McIlroy, the usual suspects who really hit the ball long and far, have a distinct advantage coming into these greens. I think distance is going to be a factor and I'm going to be trying to swing as hard as I can. I won't be able to keep up with them, but hopefully I'll be able to keep it in the same zip code and have short irons into greens so I can have opportunities at lots of birdies. Q. Your health, how much did that impact how much you can practice and play, and is that still the case now? PHIL MICKELSON: It's not the case anymore, but last year starting the year, I just had some back tightness, if you will. Fortunately my spine and everything is healthy, cartilage is healthy. I just had some muscle tightness and it was because I didn't put in the time working out. And as you get older, I need to put in more time than I used to. So this off‑season I did, and now it's been great. Q. Do you feel like‑‑ I know you say it's a work‑in‑progress with your game, but because of your record here, do you feel like that could be accelerated here more than anywhere else? PHIL MICKELSON: I certainly hope so. I'm going to go work on my touch and short game and putting, and if that's sharp this week, then I'll be able to salvage a lot of pars and make some birdies on the par5s and should be able to keep myself in contention, if that's the case. I'm also driving the ball better than I have, probably in my career, as far as overall distance and accuracy. And then coming to a course that's not so constricting off the tee, even though I wouldn't call Augusta National open, it's certainly not open; but it's not nearly as constricting as a U.S. Open and so many of the other courses that we play, that I feel like I can free it up a little bit. And I'm driving the ball very well, maybe better than I have in decades or my entire career. Combining that and if my short game is sharp, I think I'll be able to put some good numbers up there. But I haven't been in contention, and if I put myself in contention heading into the weekend, which I believe I will, I'll be feeling a lot of pressure. Q. Has the changes in the course or the evolution of the equipment made this place friendlier to lefties than it was when you first started playing here? PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah. Q. Can you explain? PHIL MICKELSON: I think that there are a number of holes where you want to move the ball right‑to‑left, and a signature amount of holes, like 10, tee shot on 10, tee shot on 13, tee shot on 9. There are holes that hitting a cut makes it a lot easier. I think holes like 12, which is a very difficult par 3, sits perfectly along a left‑handed shot dispersion, short‑left, long‑right, so you aim at the middle of the green and you have a huge green to hit at. It's opposite of a right‑handed shot dispersion, you aim at the middle of the green, you pull it, it goes long left; you push it, it goes short right in the water. There's holes like that that sit better for left‑handed players. However, there are also holes like that that sit worse. No. 8 is a much harder shot, second shot into that green hitting a cut than it is a hook. So you can analyze it as much as you want, but I think the fact that the equipment has allowed fades to go longer has allowed us to get to the bottom of the fairway, the bottom of the hill on 10 and get it out there far enough on 13 with a cut and still be able to reach it. Where we're able to control that a little bit better. But you're talking about fractions of a stroke difference. I don't think it's explaining why 4 percent of the field is winning 50 percent of the time. That's not going to be the explanation, but it certainly has helped. Q. When you put yourself back into contention on the weekend after maybe not being there for awhile, is it like riding a bike, you don't forget how, or do you have to re‑learn how to handle and deal with that? PHIL MICKELSON: It could go either way. It could go either way. So I don't have a great answer for you. Q. What's it been like for you just the last couple of weeks to be back in it consistently? PHIL MICKELSON: It's been fun. It's been fun to feel as though if I play‑‑ if I just go out and play well that I'll be back in contention. It was a great feeling being in contention heading into the weekend in Houston, and that was actually important for me. I didn't perform on the weekend the way I wanted to, but it was big for me to feel that nervousness again and to see how close I was. I think I led the field in birdies last week. I need to do that. That's how I play. I made a lot of birdies. I also made some bogeys so I have to make a lot of birdies to really off‑set that. Here, I'm able to salvage a lot of pars on holes that I might not be able to on other courses with short game, so that's why I feel like I can minimize my mistakes a little bit easier here. Q. Snedeker said he enjoyed a pretty elite fraternity last year when he had a 5‑putt on the fourth green here. I think the PLAYERS Championship years ago, you might have experienced that once. How easy is it to do on a course like this and certain greens out here? PHIL MICKELSON: It happens, yeah. It happens quite a bit, quite a bit more than it should for great players. But you have to putt so defensively on these greens, and the stroke and contact is so lacking authority that it's hard to keep balls on line, and balls will continue to drift down the slope. So it's very doable. But with that being said, you can't putt defensively thinking about that. And sometimes, you've got to take on some putts, some 4‑ or 5‑footers, take some break out, realizing it's going to go 12 feet by if you miss it. That's just part of playing Augusta, picking and choosing what putts of those you want to take some risk. Q. We like to say and write that you become this different guy when you drive down Magnolia Lane. Do you believe that now, as long as you've been coming here? And secondly, how do you manage your own expectations about how badly you want to win here versus where your game is at at any particular time? PHIL MICKELSON: I think driving down Magnolia Lane is rejuvenating. It gives me a new energy. It's exciting. And I think that that energy helps me work hard, play hard and focus better and play my best. And what was the second part? Q. Expectations, your expectations versus where your game is at at any one moment. PHIL MICKELSON: The thing about Augusta is that for me personally, I don't feel like I have to be perfect, so it relaxes me. Even though I may not have my best stuff on any given day, I still feel like I can shoot in the 60s and I still feel like I can make pars and birdie some holes to shoot a decent number. It's also a golf course that's very difficult to pull away. It's not a course you're going to see a lot of 63s or 64s anymore.  If you just keep it around par, shoot anything under par, you're not going to lose a lot of ground to the leaders. Q. And just to follow up, you look and sound subdued today. Are you feeling any differently this week about your chances? PHIL MICKELSON: Well, I've had a great couple of weeks and then I took yesterday off. I feel like I have good direction on what I need to work on. So after we get done, I'll go have a good practice session today and tomorrow, and I'm hopeful that I've got plenty of time to get my game sharp and ready for the first round. I don't feel like it needs a lot of work like it did last year. Last year I felt like there wasn't enough time to get ready for Thursday. This time, I feel like I've done the work and just need a little bit of fine tuning the next day and a half to get ready. Q. As somebody that's been so successful here so many times, can you talk us through the emotions that you wrestle with on Saturday evening knowing that you're in contention for a huge prize on Sunday? And separately, but related, what are the mental challenges you face on the back nine when you know you're close? PHIL MICKELSON: The greatest feeling is making the turn Sunday afternoon, being within striking distance, hopefully within two shots of the lead; knowing that you've got that nine holes left. The toughest thing about Saturday night is waiting till you get on the golf course, until there's time for you to actually do something about it. It's the anticipation that's the most difficult thing dealing with the pressure of winning a major. Once you're on the golf course, you're fine, because you're back in control and you're able to do something about it. But playing that back nine with a chance to win on Sunday, it really is the greatest feeling. It's what we dream about as kids and want to experience. And it is nerve‑wracking, but in a good way. Q. I know you frequently play with Rickie Fowler. Wondering if he asked any advice on how to close out a major and what you saw from his practice round today? PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah, he's playing really good golf. Last year it seemed like he turned a corner with his game, something clicked. He had been working with Butch and made some changes, and you noticed it with, first of all, his distance off the tee, as well as his consistency with his long game. Also, his short irons became consistently flying the right distance. Those subtle changes really make him look like he's an elite player, which we've always viewed him of, but his game is really reflecting that now. And I think it's one of those deals for me, it's just a matter of time, and then once it does happen, he's going to have a lot more chances and win multiple. But sometimes you've just got to be patient until it clicks. Q. Obviously over the years, you and others have come in here and feel like this is the tournament; maybe a generation ago, maybe it was the U.S. Open. For you, what makes this "The" event? PHIL MICKELSON: You're right, I think every player feels that way about this is the event. This is "The" event. This is the major championship to win. The way they treat past champions, being able to come back here every year, all the subtleties of the way they treat you here, this is the one that we want to win the most, the tournament that I think is the most meaningful, being able to come back every here and relive history and relive what we've accomplished in this game, in this great event. It gives kids something to strive for as a junior and aspire to, and you see it with the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship, kids just wanting to be at Augusta National. It's just a special place for people who love the game as much as we all do. And winning this tournament, being a part of this championship, coming here every year to compete and try to add to that, is the greatest thing. It's what you think about in the off‑season when you're putting in the work in the gym at 5:30 in the morning; you don't want to be there; you think about the Masters and what you're doing it for. This is what gives us the motivation. Q. Since you've won here multiple times, you've had opportunities to enjoy having the green jacket. Through the years, is there a memorable story, a memorable moment that you can share with us that you've had with that jacket? PHIL MICKELSON: We only get to keep it the year that we won. We have to leave it here at the club after that. But I would wear it to all the corporate functions and so forth. I would put it in my golf bag and if it was chilly in the morning, I would pull it out (laughter). So it's just the little things like that that are fun to do when you have that jacket. Fortunately I had‑‑ I wouldn't carry three around with me, but I would say, I've got two more if you're cold, as well, but that's just being rude (laughter). You've got to be careful who you say that stuff to. Some people can take it, some people can't. Q. With three of these, in your 40s, what do you think about; what do you know about playing this golf course and winning here that you wish you knew in your 20s and early 30s? PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah, as I look back, in 2004, I won the Masters, and the only change that I made was mentally approaching the 15th hole. The 15th hole had cost me numerous times throughout my career making 6s and 7s on that hole and I finally accepted the fact that par is okay. And if I make one or two birdies and play that hole 1‑ or 2‑under par, that's great. That's good enough to win this golf tournament. But what's not good enough is making the catastrophic mistake. Last year, I think I made a catastrophic mistake on that hole. In the past, I've made numerous mistakes on that hole. That's the one that comes up and can bite you if you get a little bit too aggressive and try to make a four. You can play the hole aggressively, go for a two, miss it long over the green, and you can still be looking at six or seven. You still have to play smart, try to make birdie, but don't press it too hard. Make sure you walk away with par. Not giving strokes back on 15 is the one thing that could have helped me win other Masters in the past had I approached it a little differently earlier in my career, because that hole certainly cost me a number of times. Q. When you talk about getting the speed back into your swing, how do you accomplish that, and in what part of your game is that most important? PHIL MICKELSON: Swing speed, you have to obviously swing the club faster, that's kind of the goal (laughter). But before you can do that, you have to train yourself. You have to be physically strong and stable enough to support the swing speed. Second, you have to retrain your muscles to swing it faster and you do that by overload‑underload. So you take a 20 percent heavier driver and swing it as fast as you can, hit balls as hard as you can; take a driver that's 20 percent lighter than a normal driver and swing that as hard as you can, and then you take a normal driver and swing that as hard as you can. You retain, build the muscle and retrain it to swing fast again. It's right out of what Tom House has been doing in baseball with weighted baseballs, helping quarterbacks throwing harder, overload and underload, as well as baseball players. It's the same type of theory and process that we try to implement to try and retrain myself to swing it fast again. Q. Rory was just in here again and said he was just as curious as everyone else about how Tiger will play and that he will be looking to find his score. How curious are you and have you spent any time with him lately? PHIL MICKELSON: Well, I haven't spent time with him, no. He hasn't been out on Tour. I haven't seen him much. But I know as much as anybody and I'm as curious, too. But I do believe that the easiest fix is short game. I think that's the easiest thing to fix, and so his short game has always been astoundingly good. He's won numerous tournaments because of his short game. I just don't think it's a hard thing to get back. He hit a few good chips, he hit them close, all of a sudden your confidence is back. It's just not that hard of a thing to get right. Whereas when your golf swing goes south and the ball is flying everywhere, that could take a little while. He seems to be striking the ball very well. He played in front of me today and I saw him hit some shots and it looked impressive. His speed is up, the ball is flying long and straight and it looks like he's swinging free without any type of manipulation. It looks really good. I expect him to play well, but I'm sure he's going to have the same challenges I've had, that we haven't played well and been in contention in a while and that's going to be the mental challenge we've got to overcome. Q. You and Rory are the only guys right now in the world who can show up at a major championship with an opportunity to complete a career Slam. From your experience at Pinehurst last year, how do you keep all of that attention that people focus on that from getting in the way of trying to compete in the tournament and completing it? PHIL MICKELSON: Last year was a little bit different because it was my first time, my first opportunity to compete a career Grand Slam and it was on a golf course that I almost won in the past. Even though the course had changed substantially, there was a lot of anticipation for it. I think as time goes on, that type of anticipation will diminish over time and make it a little bit easier to focus on just the playing aspect of it. And there's some good opportunities coming up with some of these golf courses we have in the U.S. Open for me, and I think the Masters is a golf course that, gosh, it's just very well suited for Rory. He almost won here a couple years ago. He was leading heading into the back nine. With the type of length and ball‑striking he has and putting touch, I think this is a course he'll be tough at the rest of his career. I'm sure he'll win, whether it's this week or not, you never know. You always need a little bit of a break to win a tournament; maybe he gets it this week, maybe he doesn't. But over the course of 15, 20 years, he'll get those breaks and he'll win the Masters. Q. Tiger talked about seeing 17 without Ike's Tree for the first time. You got a chance to play last year four rounds without it. What's your assessment now of the hole post‑tree? Does it play tougher or easier to you? PHIL MICKELSON: It really doesn't any play different because it wasn't really in play for most players that hit the ball high enough. It was in play for some guys that couldn't quite carry it over that tree, maybe a quarter of the field. I don't think it's going to affect scoring too much. The challenge is really the approach shot into the green in that you can't see the green because it's so flat and hidden by the bunker. It's very difficult for depth perception and difficult for distance control with you're dealing with that elevation change and it's difficult to hit the ball online because you're hitting off an uphill lie. Most people pull that shot and you're trying to hit a cut to a lot of the right‑handed pins for a right‑handed player. It's a challenging hole because of the other subtleties and nuances of the hole, not so much the tree you were past after your first shot. MODERATOR: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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