home jobs contact us
Our Clients:
Browse by Sport
Find us on ASAP sports on Facebook ASAP sports on Twitter
ASAP Sports RSS Subscribe to RSS
Click to go to
Asaptext.com
ASAPtext.com
ASAP Sports e-Brochure View our
e-Brochure

U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP


June 15, 2019


Phil Mickelson


Pebble Beach, California

Q. How disappointed are you? Obviously --
PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah, certainly I'm disappointed. I played -- I felt like I played a lot better than I'm scoring. And certainly didn't finish this round very well. I tell you, I think it's -- I'm really happy that I had this chance, this opportunity this week. I've got to give it to -- hand it to the USGA for doing a great setup. It's the best I've ever seen. And it's identifying the best players. It's making the players the story.

I think the biggest thing was pin placements, instead of putting them right on the edges they were in good spots, rewarding great shots. I can't say enough great things about how this week has gone so far. And I'm appreciative to the effort they've put in and for the opportunity that I had this week.

I'll come out tomorrow and play as well as I can. But today was the day I needed to go low. I played well enough to do it. I had many opportunities. Didn't putt well. Didn't get them to go in. I left them short the whole time. And then I finished poorly.

But for the most part I really enjoyed this week. I've had a lot of fun testing my game, testing myself mentally, my physical game. And it's been a fun challenge.

Q. They said that it was going to be pretty much the same setup as the last time, 2010. Do you feel that? Is it pretty much the same? You're obviously praising them now in this case?
PHIL MICKELSON: Well, I just think that you've got to give credit when they do a good job like this. They've done a great job. And -- there have been many times where one or two yards' difference in hole location would have made a world of difference, given the conditions being so tough. And this week they've done a good job in doing that.

Q. On a couple of holes like 1, it looked like you and Tim were sort of talking with going with a driver, the gallery was trying to egg you on to go for it. 18, it was a pretty bold driver?
PHIL MICKELSON: 18, I couldn't get there. I just made bogey on 17. And if I hit a good drive, I'd be able to reach it. And really it was a test for me. I've been working on my driver. I've actually driven the ball pretty well this week. I've had a nice turn of events with the driver. I'm hitting the ball a lot straighter, and it was really a good test for me on that last drive there. And I'm not quite there, didn't pass that last test.

Q. Did you know anything about your playing partner?
PHIL MICKELSON: No, but I knew his caddie, Andy Martinez, pretty well. And I really think the world of him. And for him to be on his bag, I knew he had to be a good guy.

Q. How do you see the conditions setting up for tomorrow?
PHIL MICKELSON: I don't know. I don't know how it's going to be. But I'm looking forward to the challenge. The first three days they've really done a great job in letting the players kind of showcase their talents.

Q. Are the greens tightening up a little bit now?
PHIL MICKELSON: Certainly, but that's not the issue, because as long as the hole locations are in a good area, it's not so much the conditions as much as it is the hole locations oftentimes, and it's been really well done.

Q. Graeme said yesterday that playing those two days with you was inspiring to him, seeing you have as much fire and passion as you ever have had. What does that mean that the guy on the cusp of 40 is looking at you that way?
PHIL MICKELSON: Well, I think that we, as players, need to look back kind of on our career and on our life with a lot of gratitude for the fact that we get to do this for a living. And when I'm here at Pebble Beach, there's no place that I am more grateful for the life that I've been able to lead and my career and my family and so forth.

And especially going back with my grandfather being here and what this place here at Pebble Beach has meant to me over the years and having so many great moments here that I can't help but walk this golf course and feel grateful to all the great things in my life. And this is a very spiritual place for me.

Q. And then you get a standing ovation at 18?
PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah, people here have been terrific. They've really been sweet.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP sports

tech 129
About ASAP SportsFastScripts ArchiveRecent InterviewsCaptioningUpcoming EventsContact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297