BOOZ ALLEN CLASSIC

June 11, 2005

Phil Mickelson

. After posting back to back 4 unders, do you like where you stand right now?

PHIL MICKELSON: Well, you always want to be better. You always want to have the lead or be as many shots in the lead as possible. But I'm very pleased to get myself back in to where a low round tomorrow could do it. It's going to be an exciting Sunday because so many guys have a chance to win. It's going to be an exciting shootout.

Q. How frustrating was it to finish with a bogey?

PHIL MICKELSON: You don't like finishing on a bogey, and I played well all day and didn't have that tough of a putt.

Q. Talk about your back nine.

PHIL MICKELSON: Well, it was similar to the front. I made a lot of pars and then I made two birdies in a row. I birdied 15 and 16 and was able to get in at 4 under. So I was I was pleased that I was able to hang in there and make pars when I wasn't making birdies, and that way those four birdies that I made got me back in contention.

Q. Talk about going into the final round, knowing what's coming up next week, talk about the overall significance of being near the top.

PHIL MICKELSON: I think the best way to prepare for next week's tournament is to not think about it right now, but to think about winning, think about hitting shots I need to under pressure at a U.S. Open style golf course here at Congressional. So rather than thinking about Pinehurst next week, the best way to prepare is to focus on trying to win tomorrow.

Q. What do you think it's going to take tomorrow?

PHIL MICKELSON: It's going to take a pretty low score, because there's so many guys that are right there, that somebody is going to get hot out of that many players. I don't really know. I don't really set a number. I would think that if I were to shoot 6 or 7 under, that would be a pretty good score.

Q. What time did you get here this morning?

PHIL MICKELSON: 7:00, 7:15.

Q. Is that part of your routine?

PHIL MICKELSON: No. It was I was trying to practice early and get out of the heat, and then take a couple hour break. But it didn't really go that well in the morning practice session and ended up being here three hours, another hour and a half longer than I wanted to be.

Q. Talking about the conditions yesterday, how was it different today?

PHIL MICKELSON: The conditions were not quite as windy and the greens are very receptive, so we're seeing a lot of low scores today.

End of FastScripts.