	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

WGC ACCENTURE MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

February 20, 2008

Phil Mickelson

TUCSON, ARIZONA

CHRIS REIMER: Want to welcome Phil Mickelson to the media center here after the first round of the Accenture Match Play Championship. What a great match there. Opening comments about the win.
PHIL MICKELSON: You know, it was a fun match. The front nine we didn't do anything too spectacular, it was just kind of basic, maybe we both shot 1- or 2-under.
But the back nine we had a lot of birdies between us, and I thought it made for an exciting match.
CHRIS REIMER: Talk about the last probably three or four holes and some of the key shots there. I know you made the long putt to take it, but some of the key shots at the very end.
PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah, I think that Pat played some great golf on the back nine and made some great putts on 14, 15. And I was fortunate to follow it up with a good putt on 16. And so that was a big putt. And the fact that his second shot got extremely unlucky in that it was on the lip of the bunker on 17. That would have -- I think if he was on the flat, he would have been able to get that up-and-down nine times out of ten, but it was a much tougher shot.

Q. Phil, did you feel any continuation of LA coming in here? You played so well there. Is that a little boost coming in, even though it was a different type of tournament?
PHIL MICKELSON: I felt like I was playing well. Obviously last week I played well. And I wanted to carry that over. I was a little uncertain going into the match because I didn't play a practice round. I felt my time was better suited chipping and putting and hitting golf balls. Because of that I was a little unsure of how some of the greens would react and where the slopes were and so forth. Now that I've had a chance to play it, and I've been trying to take mental notes on how the greens are, I think -- at least I believe I'll start to play better as the week goes on.

Q. How do you rate your chances for the rest of the week here?
PHIL MICKELSON: Well, we can't look past the next match. So I think I'm playing Appleby, if that's correct. He was 4-up last I saw. He's one of the top players in the world. Top 64 guys are here, so we're going to have a lot of tough matches. He's certainly playing well to win by that many holes. I think it's going to be a tough match just to get by tomorrow.

Q. How was it to see two bombs go in a row for him, and then what was your look at your putt on 16? How makeable did it look from where you were looking at and what was it like watching it roll?
PHIL MICKELSON: Well, it was a good feeling to watch it go in and respond to the two he had made. I kept thinking last week Jeff Quinney did the same thing, made four long putts in a row and I was able to withstand that and make a couple of my own. That was the best way to respond was with that putt going in.

Q. How far back do you and Pat go, just same hometown, same college?
PHIL MICKELSON: Well, we went to the same school in college, but we didn't go at the same time so I didn't see him much there. Certainly I followed his career, as I do all ASU players, in pro form. He grew up in San Diego, his dad does a lot for junior golf and a lot of charity work, so he's from a great golfing family. I watch him on TOUR in pro form and I think he's a very talented player, so I knew it was going to be a tough match today.

Q. Did you guys talk much? Was there much conversation today?
PHIL MICKELSON: Not too much, a little bit. Match play not as much as in stroke.

Q. Any San Diego reminiscing at all?
PHIL MICKELSON: A little bit about ASU and stuff.

Q. Were you going to try to make the hoops tonight?
PHIL MICKELSON: If I teed off a couple of hours earlier, I would have. But the fact that we're done kind of late and I'd still like to get a little work in tonight and rest up, I'm not going to make it. If I teed off before 10:00 I probably would have.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297