FBR OPEN

January 30, 2004

Phil Mickelson

TODD BUDNICK: Phil, thanks for joining us, a 3-under 68 today, plugging along real well. We had a couple miscues there at the end it looks like.

PHIL MICKELSON: Bogeyed a couple coming in and shot 3-under, so it could have been a really good day, but it's close enough to where a good round tomorrow will give me a chance on Sunday.

Q. Talk about the eagle on 13 if you would, please.

PHIL MICKELSON: Well, I eagled 13. I hit a good drive and had 211 front, 228 hole, and hit a 5-iron to about three feet, made that. It was downwind. I see you shaking your head.

Q. How far was the distance?

PHIL MICKELSON: 211 front, 228 hole.

TODD BUDNICK: Coming off your victory, you led at the end of the third round, at the end of the fourth, and then you won. Now you're on top of the leaderboard again. You must be happy with the way you started this year.

PHIL MICKELSON: It's been a good start and I'm having a lot of fun playing golf right now. Last week was very fun, and coming back to Phoenix, this tournament is tremendous. We have a good sponsor with FBR. It's a long-term contract, which is tremendous, and this event is on a great golf course with some of the best support from the community and I just love coming here. Hopefully I'll play well tomorrow because there's no better feeling than being in contention on Sunday coming down those last four or five holes.

Q. You're saying how much fun you're having. Is it maybe the most fun since Sunday at Bethpage or something like that?

PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah, you could certainly say that, at least in the last 18 months, that's fair to say. But to have a chance to win, to be in contention, that's what's been so exciting, but I feel very comfortable with the way I'm playing, which I haven't had in a long time, as you know, certainly last year, and I'm really enjoying it.

Q. Where do you feel you can really attack this course?

PHIL MICKELSON: 13. No, I'm just kidding. The backside is really an interesting side because you can attack it, but there's great risk-reward. If you try to reach the par 5, 15, we've seen a lot of 6s doing that with the water.

17 is a birdie hole, but yet I made bogey on it today because of a very tough pin placement. So it's hard to really say where you can and cannot attack the course. A lot of it depends on where the pins are placed.

Q. Was the course tougher today or were you just not quite as on as you were yesterday?

PHIL MICKELSON: I played fairly well early on and didn't capitalize with any putts, but in the middle of the round I got a couple of things going, got to 5 under and had a nice round going. I thought I might be able to get the last two birdies and shot the same score as yesterday, instead I followed with two bogeys and shot 68. It's a disappointing finish, but I thought I played equally well.

Q. The course setup from yesterday to today?

PHIL MICKELSON: Very similar.

Q. You've got seven rounds of golf, seven rounds in the 60s this year, huh?

PHIL MICKELSON: I'm okay with that.

Q. That's some of the best golf you've played in -- does it speak more to the courses, that the Hope is just a birdie-fest?

PHIL MICKELSON: It's a little of both.

Q. Is 15 always a layup for you?

PHIL MICKELSON: No, I went for it yesterday, but it was into the wind today and I missed the fairway. If I was in the fairway I would have gone for it. I think the hole usually plays downwind but when it plays into the wind the tees are so far back nobody can really go for it. It's just a layup. We probably could use a little bit better setup if we knew what the wind was going to do. We could move the tees up so guys would be on the verge of going for it. Today I don't know if anybody will go for it, and that's not quite as fun.

Q. How do you feel the effects of the working out on the golf course? Is there more energy, more spring in your step, anything?

PHIL MICKELSON: I'm sure there is. I haven't noticed ever getting tired. I don't know if I did before, though. I haven't really thought about it.

TODD BUDNICK: Let's just go through your card. Birdie on 5.

PHIL MICKELSON: Birdie on 5, I hit driver, hit a little 9-iron to six feet. That's the first one I made.

I birdied 8, made a really long putt on 8 from off the fringe, about 45 feet after a driver and a little 6-iron.

Eagled 13, we talked about that, driver, 5-iron to three feet.

Birdied 15, laid up, I hit driver, 7-iron, L-wedge to about seven feet, made that.

I bogeyed 17 and 18, drove it in the right bunker, thought I'd take five out of play, hit the middle of the green and two-putt, instead I three-putted and made bogey.

18, I drove it just in the right bunker, hit 9-iron short of the green, chipped up, missed it.

Q. So your thought on 17, you thought you were making the smart play?

PHIL MICKELSON: I didn't go at the pin. I had a tough shot to the top pin. I thought I'd get it in the middle of the green, get my par and move on, and instead I three-putted. It was disappointing.

TODD BUDNICK: Thanks, Phil.

End of FastScripts.