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SHELL HOUSTON OPEN


April 6, 2008


Phil Mickelson


HUMBLE, TEXAS

Q. Tell me what you got done this week, your expectations going into next week, what's the plan?
PHIL MICKELSON: Well, Michael, it was a good week for me to identify what I need to work on and find out what areas don't feel great, and so I got out of it that my short game wasn't where it needs to be. My chipping and putting isn't where it needs to be, and fortunately I can spend extra time on it now the next couple of days leading into the Masters.

Q. Did you have goals heading into this week for Augusta? And if so, did you accomplish those?
PHIL MICKELSON: I certainly wanted to play better. Wanted to have a much better finish and hopefully a chance to win and contend. So I was disappointed in that, but it gave me an opportunity to identify what areas of my game are weak heading into the Masters and where I need to spend time the next three days.
So, it was pretty obvious to me that on and around the greens is where I was struggling, and so I'll spend a little bit extra time there and see if I can get that turned around.

Q. Do you have your schedule set up going into Thursday?
PHIL MICKELSON: I do.

Q. Share?
PHIL MICKELSON: I take Mondays off the week of Majors. I always do. Just is a way to relax. And then I'll play practice round Tuesday and practice on Wednesday and tee off on Thursday.

Q. How did you like this week?
PHIL MICKELSON: I really enjoyed this week. I thought the superintendent and the staff here did an amazing job of setting this golf course up. I thought it was a great place to spend the week before the Masters. It couldn't have been better. The details were perfect. So far as to have the fairway cut and mown into just like they do at Augusta. Little things were very well done, and I'm very pleased that I came here.
I was really impressed with the turnout that the tournament has and the support from the community, and I'm excited to have this tournament now as the preparatory tournament for the Masters. I look forward to coming back.

Q. The fans were on your side all week long.
PHIL MICKELSON: That's nice of you. Thank you.

Q. They were cheering whatever you did, even when you didn't have a birdie.
PHIL MICKELSON: I didn't give them plenty of opportunities to cheer for birdies, but I'll work on that the next year.

Q. What are your thoughts to work on your game going into Augusta? How do you feel going?
PHIL MICKELSON: This week gave me a great opportunity to identify what areas I need to work on, and having the course set up so similar to what we will see next week gives me an idea to see if my distance control is great out of the first cut, if my chipping out of the first cut or tight fairway lies isn't great.
What I come away with, I need to spend some time on my short game. Chipping and putting is not where it needs to be.

Q. Earlier in the week I asked you if you knew you were going to come back or not. Can I ask you that?
PHIL MICKELSON: Absolutely I'll be back, especially if it's like this. The week before the Masters, if the course set up is like this, everybody in this tournament, Mr. Timms and the entire staff here at Redstone did a great job, who are in the tournament next week, gave an opportunity to prepare, and because of that, I absolutely want to come back, yes.

Q. Do you feel better about the fact that's short game stuff to work on and if you were going in fighting a swing or something like that?
PHIL MICKELSON: I do in the sense that I'm going to spend most of my time on short game anyway. Anyways, whether it was good or not, it's such an integral part of scoring next week, it's where I spend most of the my time practicing anyways.

End of FastScripts




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