Phil Mickelson Quotes (196 Quotes)


    I'd been working in the off-season to get this longer driver in play. We got it dialed in to where I could hit a very long draw. But all of the finesse shots like carving it around the trees at 13, the club wasn't designed for that, and just wasn't doing it. I was trying to get it worked out so I only use one driver, but as it turned out, I'm going to end up using two.

    Let's settle down Grand Slam talk and stuff. To hold all four majors, that's one of the most incredible feats in the history of the game.

    I think what I'm most proud of is that I didn't let other people back in it. They had to come chase me down and make birdies to do it.

    I don't think that the way I plan on playing the golf course is any different being ahead as it would be being behind. I think you have to take what the course gives you.

    Because it was not the final round, I wasn't really concerned. I should be now. I'm four back, and I've got to make a run tomorrow.


    I haven't had as many chances here as I would have liked or would have thought. But why the other guys haven't played well here, I don't know. It's a course that, if you play well, it can suit anybody's game. I just don't know why we haven't put it together. It's hard to say, because we've all had decent chances.

    The object of golf is not just to win. It is to play like a gentleman, and win.


    The big thing for me is that I need an end point. I can go at it hard, with the idea that once you go to this point, you can take some time off. What I like now is there's an end point, as opposed to dragging on for 12 months and never having the point where you relax and say, 'OK, we're done for a while.

    To hold all four majors incredible. That's just one of the most incredible feats in the game. That and Bobby Jones' Grand Slam and Ben Hogan in '53 winning three of the four are probably the greatest feats in golf.

    As they continue to get more experience and get better and learn the courses and understand the cities and understand what preparation allows them to play their best golf, they are going to be the guys who are going to be the top players in the world. The guys who are up there are not going to be there forever, we're going to transition out eventually. We're just trying to hold on as long as we can.

    I really want to have my kids here and see it. I want to show them the destruction stage and the rebuilding stage. They are going to be reading about this in their history classes.

    I wanted to make a run and just didn't. It was a disappointing round.

    I'm 2-for-8 now, so it has worked for me. I understand I have and will continue to receive criticism over that. I find that for me to prepare my best, to get away from all the hoopla that goes on the weeks of a major and get some quiet practice allows me to be focused and sharpest when Thursday comes. I'll continue to expect similar results.

    To win here where Jack Nicklaus has won a couple of times, I touched his plaque there on 18 just to get some good karma, makes it a memorable and very special week for me.

    I've putted very poorly, and I've got to get the ball rolling in the hole better. I've hit some good shots and played well in a lot of tournaments, but I haven't been making the 4- or 5-footers and I have not been making the 15- and 20-footers that I've been making the last couple of years.

    I thought with the fairways being a little wider here, it might be a good place to try it out.

    It's a very fair test, but I can't imagine what guys had done in the wind.

    It was a really fun day. I had an incredible time playing the final 18. It's been a long day, but a wonderful day.

    The greens are hard and with water in front, they are very difficult to hold.

    I thought I had a chance there to shoot in the 60s. A couple of bogeys coming in hurt, obviously, and I'll have to get that straightened out. Today told me that (my game) is not quite there, but it's a little bit closer than I thought it was.

    This is the time, after the majors, that I'll try out some equipment. I putted pretty well with the two-ball putter (the first two rounds), but I wanted to go back to my regular blade on the weekend so I could get some practice with it in preparation for next week (Presidents Cup play).

    Three for nine sounds better, huh I would say the reason is that I have started to prepare better for these tournaments and that I am in better control of my game now.

    This tournament has great practice facilities. It gives me the opportunity to work on my game and get sharp and to not worry about what's coming up next week.

    The great thing about today is it was not the last day. I know that obviously he's playing well, but because it was not the final round, I wasn't really concerned. I should be now I'm four back.

    I had played the course exclusively with a fade, but there are a number of holes where you can move the ball left-to-right (draw) and have it be very effective.

    This is one of the biggest catastrophes in the United States. They will read about it in their history books throughout their education years. I wanted them to see it from the destructive stage, and I want them to see it as it rebuilds to show them what we can do when Americans pull together.

    Before I even won Augusta, I had never really doubted that I would eventually do it. And having not won a major or come close this year, I didn't doubt the fact that it would happen again. I just didn't know when. I'm very fortunate and very pleased and e

    We talked about this five years ago, that the next generation of players was going to be an athlete who can take advantage of the technology. They hit bombs, but they can also chip and putt. Basically, long-drive guys who can play. That's what we're seeing in J.B. Holmes and Bubba Watson and Villegas, they have great touches with wedges and putting and short game. They are very difficult to beat.

    I was fortunate to get off to a good start. Charles is an extremely solid player and he came back with some birdies and I was barely able to hold him off at the end.

    When you walk down the fairways at Augusta, it's unlike any other tournament for us as players. It's a different feeling. You have people taking pictures of you and you feel like you're almost an artifact in a museum.

    I can pretty much feel comfortable saying that's not going to happen. I'm going out and just enjoy the day, enjoy playing with these three guys and try to hit some good shots. But my expectations aren't very high, and they shouldn't be.

    This is, without any wind, a very tough golf course today. Even though we had low scores today, there's a lot of penalties, a lot of water out here. I can imagine it would be extremely difficult with some wind. I was fortunate to have a calm day.

    To be honest, I was so occupied banging the ball around the ocean floor that I didn't see what he did. I lost the tournament by a couple and Kenny ... we tied for first.

    I certainly can't get it there in two, so I'm going to play it as a three-shotter. That's a very tough hole, and guys can have a lot of problems if you miss the fairway there.

    I'm taking the 3-iron out more and more because I'm able to hit the 4-wood about a 3-iron distance, but I also have a lot more variety of shots with it.

    We were asked to wait until after to sign right by the putting green, which is what we have all tried to do, to make the attempt to go over there and sign for everybody.

    The stress-free walk up 18 was incredible. I had been wanting that. I had actually been wanting a four- or five-shot lead, but three was OK, too.

    So that's where I came up with the two-driver concept. I can hit a little controlled cut on the holes where distance isn't as big of a factor. I can use that draw driver and get a little extra pop on some holes. It's nice having that little extra punch.

    I hate to play a tournament in which I'm not contending. It's just not any fun for me.

    It's not like Augusta, where rough is such a big factor. Here, both length and accuracy can be a huge asset. I haven't had as many chances here as I would have liked or would have thought.

    I thought we had won, because I'm an idiot and didn't read the rules of the game. Captain Nicklaus told me on 15 there were no ties. Still didn't get it.

    I played far from perfect, but I ended up at 2-under, which I would have gladly taken at the start of the day. We had perfect conditions. I'm concerned about (today's round) with the wind.

    Even after Augusta, having not won a major or come close this year, I didn't doubt the fact it would happen again. I just didn't know when. It's tough for me to really say tangibly if there was something that was missing before The Masters win or not. I c

    I'm four back, I've got to make a run. What really hurt was the couple of bogeys coming. ... It's going to take a low round. I just need a couple of those putts to go and I think a little bit of momentum, and I think I might have a low round in me.

    I've gained a lot of respect for him this week, and not only as a player. Let me tell you a story I played the front nine today in four over, and on the 10th tee he came up to me kind of shyly and asked, 'Do you mind if I say something' I said go right ahead. He said, 'C'mon, let's go have some fun on the back side.' I thought that was pretty cool.

    The thing I was most proud of about today's round was that on this course everybody is going to make mistakes, but sometimes it's hard to forget about it and let it go. After I made a double on 1, I was able to be patient and let it go and came back with birdies on 3 and 5. When I bogeyed 6, I was able to let it go and come back with a birdie on 8. I was able to let go of some bad shots and forget about it and move on.

    I hit a good shot on 11. It just went into the water.

    So to be within four shots, within striking distance, I'm excited about that and I'm looking forward to the weekend.

    As much as I want to be part of history, of the history of this tournament and part of the history of the game, it's not something I dwell on. Starting tomorrow, we'll start preparing for Winged Foot.


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