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PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

August 15, 2015

Phil Mickelson

Kohler, Wisconsin, USA

Q. (No microphone.)
PHIL MICKELSON: With the three 3-putts and a couple other bogeys and mistakes that I made, it could have been in the low 60s and possibly broken the Major record. That would have been special. But you just can't make those kind of mistakes.

I finally, though, hit enough good shots. I hit a lot of good quality shots and made some good putts. But I did the hard things very well and the easy things not so well today. But it's a process of slowly getting it back. It's been two years since I've been at my best and it's a little disappointing that it's taken so long. But I'm trying to be patient and rounds like these help because I see how close I am to finally being at my best.

Q. How much did the rains from last night affect conditions today?
PHIL MICKELSON: The greens have been receptive and fair all week long. The golf course is in pristine shape, one of the best I've ever seen. The fairway width is very fair. You hit a good shot, you're going to hit the fairway. The balls are not repelling out of the fairway like we saw last week. We have greens that are very fair sized and they're receptive. Good quality shots with long irons will hold and be on the green, and poor shots are severely punished with the slopes and the bunkers and so forth.

It's just a wonderful test and great place to hold a Major, and we had the good end of the deal going out early without much wind and pristine greens and a lot of guys shot low scores. It's very gettable. I think the leaders have a very gettable golf course as well.

Q. How difficult has it been for you to remain positive?
PHIL MICKELSON: I played, I've played well at a few tournaments this year. I played well at the Masters, Charlotte, played well at a couple other events, but I actually feel I've been -- my swing's been getting much better with the driver and with the 3-wood off the tee and back on plane, not having to rely on a late hand action to get the face square. And I've been able to hit a lot more good shots.

It's actually been a surprise to me that I drove it so poorly last week and not as well this week, because I have actually been driving the ball much, much better now that the swing is back on plane and my posture's a little bit better. All the little nuances and subtleties and fundamentals are slowly getting better, making the game a little bit easier. But I'm more surprised that I drove it poorly the first day than I am surprised that I drove it well later today.

Q. Amy's lobbying for you to be on the Presidents Cup team. Are you going to let her keep doing that?
PHIL MICKELSON: I've got to play better.

Q. I know it's all facetious but?
PHIL MICKELSON: I've got to play better. My game plan is to play through the points, which is Barclays and Deutsche Bank, and see where I'm at there. I'm certainly way far away. But I know that rounds like this tell me that I'm very close to having it click. If it clicks, I'll end up -- I should be able to win one of those next couple of events and get myself right back up there in contention for the points.

Having a good final round tomorrow would get me even a little bit closer to where a win would get me on the team. I don't want to have to be a pick. I haven't been a pick in 20 years. I don't want to be a pick now. I want to get on the team on my own merit, but I haven't played well enough soon enough to do it. We have got two events left and, like I said, I've been saying I'm close, I'm saying I'm close, I just feel like my game is there. I actually don't feel like my game is off, I'm hitting more and more quality shots every round. But mentally, when you haven't been there in a long time, I'm not as focused, I'm not as sharp. I'm not doing the little things well like I need to and I let a lot of shots escape me today in a round that was still very good.

Q. How is the shear enjoyment out there? You were acknowledging the guys on the boat and everything?
PHIL MICKELSON: A big part of that for me is playing with Jason Bohn. We play well when we play together. He's a fun guy and it has really kind of taken some of the pressure off that I've been putting on myself to play well. We went out and we just kind of talked and laughed and I kind of forgot about the fact that I haven't been playing my best in sometime and let go of some of the pressure I've been putting on myself. I think that that contributed to both of our good play.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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