MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 9, 2023

Phil Mickelson

Quick Quotes

Q. Can you give us a general summation of the day?

PHIL MICKELSON: Summation of the day, like I'm hesitant to say too much right now. Either way, no matter the outcome, I had so much fun today. I feel like I've been hitting these type of quality shots, but I have not been staying focused and present for the upcoming shot, and I make a lot of mistakes. Kind of like you saw on Thursday, and that cost me a bunch of strokes.

To come out today and play the way I did and hit the shots when I needed, it's so much fun. I'm grateful to be a part of this tournament and to be here competing and then to play well, it means a lot.

Q. Are there similarities between the golfer that played this week and the one that played here in 2010?

PHIL MICKELSON: I don't know. That's hard to say. That was a long time ago.

Q. On a personal level, bigger picture, what does this week meant to you? You obviously haven't been in the form you want to be in, and you kind of found that.

PHIL MICKELSON: Hopefully it's a stepping stone. I know I've been playing really well. I've been shooting low scores back home. I've been playing consistently well. When I've been competing, I have not been staying present. I haven't been letting it happen, kind of forcing it. I just haven't been scoring the way I know I can.

Today is hopefully a stepping stone to really kick start the rest of the year and continue some great play because I have a unique opportunity. At 52, no physical injuries, no physical problems, being able to swing a club the way I want to, to do things in the game that not many people have had a chance to do later in life.

I've kind of really worked hard in the off-season to get in shape, to get ready for this upcoming season, and I'm out there hitting shots and not scoring. So it's been frustrating. Today was really a fun day. Hopefully I'll be able to use this again as a springboard for the rest year.

Q. Psychologically, how much of a boost has it been this week the way you've been playing? Have you seen the results? Just in terms of confidence level, whatever it may be.

PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah, it just reaffirms that I knew I was close. I've been hitting quality shots. This doesn't feel like a fluke. It wasn't like I hit shots I haven't been hitting. I stayed present and didn't make loose swings or those bad swings at an inopportune time. I stayed very present and calm throughout, then executed and had a blast.

Like this is so much fun. Again, we're all grateful that we're able to play and compete here, and I think it's tremendous for this tournament to have all the best players in the world here. Then as a past champion, to be able to still be a part of it, it means a lot.