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FORD CHAMPIONSHIP AT DORAL

March 6, 2005

Phil Mickelson

DORAL, FLORIDA

TODD BUDNICK: We welcome the runner-up of the 2005 Ford Championship at Doral, Phil Mickelson. Finishing up 23-under, we were looking for a battle today between you and Tiger, and I think we got one.

PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah, it was fun to compete against Tiger. It was a fun day. I'm just a little ticked at myself for not getting it done today.

TODD BUDNICK: Talk about, he makes eagle on No. 12 but you bounce right back with birdies and you tied again with just a few holes left to go.

PHIL MICKELSON: When he made eagle on 12, I loved it, because I want a chance to compete against him at his best. And when he knocked that in, he was 6-under through 12 holes and I think he was playing at his best and that's what I wanted, a chance to do is compete against him at his best. I didn't want him to be giving it to me. I wanted to go after it. When he knocked that putt in, I loved it. And I loved the fact that I backed it up on 13 and 14 with two birdies. 13 was a bear of a hole, I hit one of best shots I've ever hit, 244 yard 3-iron which I can't hit that far and I was able to hit it that far. I had a chance on 15 and 16 to win, not to win but to get ahead and I hit two putts right where I wanted to and they just kicked off at the end, not much I can do and did it all day today once the greens got firmer.

You know, I had a chance there on 16, as well, to get the chip shot a little closer. I've been working hard on that chip shot from behind the green, getting it inside three feet, and it hit hard and went five feet and then I had a much tougher putt with those extra two feet. It lipped out. Obviously, he made a long putt on 17. I thought 15 and 16 is where I should have taken control of the match.

Q. What was difficult about the extra two feet there? I mean, I don't know how the putt was supposed to break, 16.

PHIL MICKELSON: Well, the odds of making a 3-footer are 100%, a 4-footer is 90 percent and a 5-footer is 70 percent. So those two feet is a big percentage difference. I didn't hit it right where I wanted to, but those extra two feet allowed the ball to kick off or not read it right or whatever. I played it left edge with more speed to hold its line but kicked up and caught the lip.

Q. Tiger was sounding like he was shocked when your chip didn't go in. I can't imagine what you think.

PHIL MICKELSON: It was right in the heart. It was tracking with three or four feet to go. It looked like it was going right in the middle. Again, that's the same thing that happened on the putt, it looked like they are going right in the middle and kind of kick off at the end.

So, it's a little frustrating because I was -- I knew I was playing well enough to win. I feel like I believe should I have won, certainly could have won and I just hope that I have another shot soon. I hope that the next time we get out and play, we both play well again and get in the last group because this was fun competing against him.

Q. Your thought process, you're hitting first on 16, any temptation to drive?

PHIL MICKELSON: There was no help today. I couldn't get it there and I said on Thursday that on Sundays, I just won't go for it because it was so close to that bunker that it was a tough bunker shot. He had an uphill shot and was going to get it stopped. It was an easy a bunker shot as it could have been and still was tough. I wanted a full L-wedge in to get the ball stopped and missed the fairway there.

I hit it a little left of my line and that's a tough tee shot for me because if I hit it to the right it goes long and through and if I come out of it a little bit it goes short and left and goes in the bunker.

But it wasn't a hard bunker shot. I hit it I thought pretty good, just flew a little too far.

Q. Did you have any thought to putting out on 18 and putting more pressure on Tiger's put?

PHIL MICKELSON: I probably should have, hindsight. Not that it would have made a difference, just to let him have -- when he knocks it in to win if that was the case. I wasn't thinking. I was a little in disbelief that it didn't go in.

Q. More in terms of maybe putting more pressure on his putt?

PHIL MICKELSON: No, he knew that mine was a gimmee, it was so short.

Q. What do you think you guys did for golf today in the fact that it was such a look-toward event and you played so well, it became bigger than just a tournament, a lot of emotional electricity out there?

PHIL MICKELSON: I have no idea. I'm not looking at it from the outside in. I'm looking at it from the inside out and I don't know what that did.

I barely even saw the gallery. I knew there was a lot of people out there but I barely saw it. I was worried about playing so it was hard for me to answer that question. I think it would be easier for somebody watching to tell, but I think that this was a -- as pissed off -- too late. Yeah, with all of the feelings I have about losing today, this was probably the best thing that could have happened to me heading into the majors because I felt like I was playing better than anybody after AT&T and after Phoenix, and I just knew that I was going to win today and when I didn't, it's a great slap in the face because I'm going to go work my tail off to salvage a couple more shots because when I come back to The PLAYERS Championship and the Masters, I'm going to be ready.

Q. Had you ever felt that way before?

PHIL MICKELSON: What way?

Q. That you knew you were going to win and it didn't happen?

PHIL MICKELSON: Yes, '99 U.S. Open.

Q. Approach on 18, club and just adrenaline?

PHIL MICKELSON: 174, 6-iron. It was -- I hit that shot 180. And there was a little bit of hurt and I thought that there was about eight yards of hurt so I thought I needed to add about two yards and I hit it perfect, right over the pin. It flew eight yards too far. So the wind just didn't touch it.

Q. You mentioned the majors, you've won twice, Tiger's won twice, Ernie won in Dubai today, this early in the season, this momentum going, do you sense some rivalries there or just thing going to a different level this year heading into the majors?

PHIL MICKELSON: I hope so. I don't know, but I hope that's the case.

Q. You talked yesterday, you made some mention of a learning experience when what fun it is to play against Tiger. What do you take out of today beyond the disappointment, do you look at 13, 14?

PHIL MICKELSON: No, just what I said earlier. That I thought I was playing better than anybody, and this is a great slap in the face because I'm going to come out and work harder.

Q. Do you take any positives out of today?

PHIL MICKELSON: That, well, sure, there was a lot of positive things that happened. I mean, I enjoyed and loved playing head-to-head against Tiger at his best. It was great fun. Just didn't -- I don't like the result. The result sucks. There was a lot of shots, that shot on 13 was tremendous, 14 was tremendous, 15 was tremendous. So there was a lot of positives, sure.

Q. Does this remind you of Tiger of old, did he have that --

PHIL MICKELSON: He's playing well. Obviously he shot 63-66 on the weekend. I loved it. I mean, I really loved it. I want to play him at his best again. I hope he plays his best at THE PLAYERS, and I hope I do, too and I want to be head-to-head against him again.

TODD BUDNICK: Let's go through your birdies.

PHIL MICKELSON: Birdie on 1, driver in the fairway and 3-iron just left of the bunker and chipped up to 12, 15 feet and made it for a birdie.

8, driver, 3-iron on the front left, 2-putt from 50 feet.

13, 3-iron to six feet.

Driver, 7-iron to five feet, four feet.

TODD BUDNICK: Thanks.

End of FastScripts.

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