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February 26, 2010
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
Q. Is that more like it, the back nine there, for you?
PHIL MICKELSON: I played much better, that last 9, 12 holes, and it started to feel much better. I shot 4-under the back nine, and I feel like if I can get a good hot round going tomorrow, maybe get in it for Sunday, but that was the real key for me.
Q. We spoke yesterday, you said you were hitting the ball beautifully but putting isn't quite up to snuff yet. Do you work on your strengths when you're practicing or work on the things that you're doing very well?
PHIL MICKELSON: You work on the things that you're not doing well, which is putting, and so I have been spending time on it, and it just finally started to click. I'm optimistic that it will be a good putting day tomorrow.
Q. When there's something off with the putting as opposed to something off with the swing, is there something that happens on the green that you think, oh, I might have found something right then and there?
PHIL MICKELSON: Possibly. A good putter can cover up a lot of other things, so you can get away with a poor ball-striking round as long as you're putting well, but when that putter is not sharp, it's tough to get a good score.
Q. You said you needed to get a good score to come out here in the morning to take advantage of the greens and the way the course plays. Did you do that out there?
PHIL MICKELSON: Not as much as I would have liked. I was thinking more a 6-, 7-, 8-under par like Ian Poulter shot. That would have been nice. But to have hung in there and shot 4-under on the back, at least I'm in a position where a good low round tomorrow would still give me a chance on Sunday.
Q. Slow start but a strong finish today.
PHIL MICKELSON: It was a much better back nine. I started to make a few putts, and that was really a key for the round. It started to feel a little bit better on the greens. I've struggled this year in general, but I felt like it started to click a little bit. I'm optimistic that tomorrow should be a good round.
Q. I heard you yell out that you're going up to Whisper Rock to practice this afternoon. What are you going to work on?
PHIL MICKELSON: Well, I'm going to go putt a little bit more just to keep working on the feel. That's the biggest thing for me right now is just getting a good feel on the greens.
Q. Heading into the weekend, any thoughts?
PHIL MICKELSON: I'm trying to be patient, but I've got to go out and attack. I've got to go out and make some birdies. Again, if I can just get a couple of 10-, 12-, 15-footers, that range, to kind of go in, you feel like you're in a position to make a good round.
End of FastScripts
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