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WELLS FARGO CHAMPIONSHIP

May 5, 2011

Phil Mickelson

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

Q. That was quite a round of golf. You started right out of the gate.
PHIL MICKELSON: The thing I love about this course is that the trees are very tight, so it's a very tight, tree-lined golf course. But with the rough being kind of first cut or a little longer than first cut, you can recover. You can hit shots. You can try different things, try to get out and around these trees, and it makes for fun, exciting golf because you can see what I think is the most exciting golf, which is the recovery shot.

Q. A comment on the round, including a really good stretch there of four in a row, 8 through 11.
PHIL MICKELSON: You know, it was a good start. I hadn't played in a few weeks, and to shoot under par was a good start. It could have been a lot better, could have been a lot worse. I'll certainly take it and have some areas I can improve and have some areas that I did very well today. It was fun.

Q. Was there a certain shot or certain hole that turned it around for you?
PHIL MICKELSON: I think maybe the par putt on 7 after I was 1-over and really trying to make birdie on 7 to get it back. I hit a shot in the water but was able to make about an 18-footer for par, and I think that that kind of salvaged it, and I made a few birdies thereafter because of it.

Q. (Inaudible.)
PHIL MICKELSON: You know, I had a couple penalty shots and a couple tee shots that weren't where I wanted them, but I putted very well. I made a lot of good putts, and even the ones that didn't go, I hit well and was pleased on the greens. I have a little bit of work to do maybe with some of the ball-striking. I hit some good iron shots, but I think off the tee I've got to get the ball in play a little bit more. This is a very demanding golf course, and tee to green it's one of the best I've ever seen. I didn't probably drive it as well as I need to if I'm going to get myself in contention for the weekend.

Q. Where were you on 7 for your second shot?
PHIL MICKELSON: I was just left of the bunker, only had a 7-iron, was just trying to hit a rounded hook 7-iron, but I had -- I was in the pine needles a few inches short of the grass, and I was worried I was going to jar my elbow, and I kind of flinched a little and over-hooked it. You know, I missed it obviously right where you can't miss it. But I was able to get up-and-down, made par.

Q. How far away were you?
PHIL MICKELSON: It was 198 to the hole, '85 carry.

Q. How did you like the greens today? You putted well obviously.
PHIL MICKELSON: Well, they've always been in great shape. This course is one of the best manicured we play. We've had a good stretch here with here and Augusta and Houston, we've had some incredibly conditioned golf courses. The greens have always rolled well. They've always been impeccably maintained and roll beautifully.

Q. Four top 5s at Quail Hollow and of course runner-up last year. What about this golf course do you like?
PHIL MICKELSON: Well, I do like this golf course. Tee to green it's one of the best I've ever seen. You have to hit the ball both ways off the tee, both ways into the greens, and I think it's just a wonderful layout of a golf course and it suits my eye. But one thing I really like is the way the course is set up lately because it's got first cut like Augusta, and because the trees are so tight and demanding, if you miss the fairway, instead of having to hack it out of the rough and wedge back to the fairway, you can actually have one of those exciting shots in golf and try to make that recovery around the trees, under the trees, so forth, and that has to do with the way the course is set up.

Q. Obviously you're so creative with your short game, but when you see the forecast like today, you know the conditions are going to be perfect, do you have a score in mind?
PHIL MICKELSON: Not really, no. I try to see what the lead is to have an idea of how it's playing because I haven't seen it play and don't know what's going on around the greens. But there were a lot of low scores today because I think we had some rain previously so the greens were a little softer than usual and they were a little bit slower than usual. Even though they're quick, they weren't as quick as they have been in the past, and so I think that led to some low scores.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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