THE 152ND OPEN

July 20, 2024

Phil Mickelson

Mixed Zone

Q. How pleasing was that finish today?

PHIL MICKELSON: It was fine. I enjoyed the round. I had fun. I didn't score the way I wanted to, but I always enjoy playing here, and there's a lot of great memories for me from around this golf course from 2016 but even going back to 2004 when I missed the playoff by a shot. I just really love Troon golf.

Q. Take me through the Postage Stamp today.

PHIL MICKELSON: Postage Stamp, I hit it in the left bunker and didn't have a shot. So I was able to get it out on the green, but I didn't really have -- it's weird to say. I couldn't get the ball to the hole on the green, so I just let it -- the higher I played it, the more I would have gone to the right, and I hit a good putt to six, seven feet to the right and made that for bogey.

That hole is one of the greats. I'm trying to make par. I'm not trying to make 2. If I make 4, I'm not that upset. It's a hole that you've seen it dismantle a bunch of opportunities for players to win, and you just don't want to make the big number. Bogeys are fine there if it happens, but it's just one of the great holes in the game.

Q. Of all The Opens you've played in, where does this week's test here rank?

PHIL MICKELSON: Well, we still have two more rounds and we'll see, but it's always a great test. This course is always a great test.

We had a little bit different wind the first two days, and it's very difficult under those conditions.

I don't know. I've played this course in all different winds, and it's like playing the course for the first time. Every time you get a different wind. It's incredible. It's just one of the best designs in the world.

Q. You had the joggers on yesterday. I wonder how much you're embracing that side of golf now and how much fun you're having on YouTube now as well as out on the course?

PHIL MICKELSON: I am enjoying that. I'm enjoying the fact that we're able to do that now, certain guys at least, and I enjoy that element of it. I think that what Grant Horvath has done is create a whole different market for golf in that you can have a career in the game and not even play professionally. He's very charismatic and attracts players that are a lot younger that wouldn't maybe be exposed to the game in a whole different way than the normal medias that we have used in the game of golf, YouTube and stuff, and they're now part of it. He's transcending into that market. I think it's brilliant. Bryson is doing the same thing. I'll dabble. It's not like I'm going to do it full-time like these guys because I have other things I enjoy doing, and I'll dabble in it, and it's fun. It's enjoyable.

Q. Has that opened your eyes a bit that there's a slightly different audience out there that's consuming their golf elsewhere?

PHIL MICKELSON: The impact of it is what has really opened my eyes. I'm constantly surprised at how impactful it is.

Q. How pleased are you with the way you've played the first two rounds?

PHIL MICKELSON: I've played well this week, even though I have not scored well. I haven't saved the shots around the greens that I usually do. I've hit a lot of good shots, though. I've hit a lot of really good-quality shots and I've played some really good golf, but I haven't scored the way I wanted to because my short game around the greens has not been as sharp as it needs to be to score on this golf course.

Q. Just in terms of the reception from fans who remember 2016 --

PHIL MICKELSON: People have been great, yeah. Look, they're always great out here. They're always respectful of everybody in the game, and they've been respectful to every player, and they were great today, and they've been great all week and everywhere.

Q. Will we get to see the joggers out again?

PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah, tomorrow. I actually really like them. Especially out here where the wind is blowing and my pants are getting caught on the socks, whatever, they're not. I really do like them.

Yeah, I'll wear them again.

Q. You were on the range next to Tiger. Did you guys converse at all?

PHIL MICKELSON: We said hi. Yeah, we said hi, but we were both preparing. It's not like we're going to sit there and chat. But we said hello, yeah.

Q. Do you think the two of you guys could figure out all the problems in the game out together?

PHIL MICKELSON: I don't know. We'll see. We'll see.

Q. If I'd have told you we're at the same point as we were basically a year ago, would you have believed that?

PHIL MICKELSON: Look, I don't know about that stuff. I'm not involved. I'm not sitting in those rooms. I am enjoying where I'm at and what I'm doing and playing. I'll let other people figure that stuff out.

Q. You would much rather there weren't such big peaks, wouldn't you, that everybody was happy about it?

PHIL MICKELSON: You know, it would be great. It would be great.