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U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP


June 17, 2010


Phil Mickelson


PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA

Q. Your general impression of the day?
PHIL MICKELSON: I thought that the golf course was set up perfectly. I thought Mike Davis did a great job. It was very playable. There were some scoring out there if you played well. I thought it was just really well done. The pin placements were great. The rough was very fair. They put some water on the greens so that shots weren't able to hold, some greens we weren't able to hold, we could. I just thought it was really well done.
From my own game and so forth, I thought that I played -- obviously I didn't score well, but I thought I played pretty well, other than putting, I just putted horrific. It's very frustrating for me to miss all those opportunities. I don't mind making a bad swing here, there, making a bogey here, there, it's part of the U.S. Open.
I thought going without any doubles was good. It's just I've got to make birdies. And when I missed those 5-footers and that three footer and a couple of ten-footers, it just was very frustrating for me.

Q. (Inaudible.)
PHIL MICKELSON: I didn't putt great in the practice rounds, but I putted great last week with Stockton and just thought I was ready. I'm rolling the ball well, but there's something off. The ball is not starting on my line, so there's something a little off. I'll have to work on it. Fortunately I have a lot of time to do that.

Q. What happened on No. 4?
PHIL MICKELSON: Oh, I didn't -- yeah, I kind of smoothed -- I wasn't sure if I could do that. It's natural habit for me to kick in my footprints for bones when he rakes. And I left it in the bunker, so I wasn't sure if I was able to do that, but I was.

Q. We mentioned on TV, and maybe you can discuss it, first round in three years without a birdie, does that sound right?
PHIL MICKELSON: It could be. I usually find a way to make some birdies, but this was tough. But I had my opportunities. I mean I had a number of chances. There were a number of birdie holes out there and I had my opportunities, I just didn't make the putt.

Q. The ball on 17?
PHIL MICKELSON: It one hopped in the ocean. I didn't see it, but I saw it one hop over. 5-iron.

Q. (Inaudible.)
PHIL MICKELSON: Yes, I mean we have three rounds left. I know if I shoot under par tomorrow I'll be right there. There's no way under par is going to win here, I don't believe. I think over par will win. Because of that I'm right there.
But I need to play well. I need to putt well, score well. But like I said, I'm hitting the ball well. I don't need to spend too much time there, I've just got to get sharp on the greens.

Q. They said a while ago they felt there would be some lower scores out there because they watered the greens a little bit. He speculated that maybe because it's a U.S. Open they're almost giving the course too much respect, did you feel that out there?
PHIL MICKELSON: No, I think that there's a lot of challenging shots and holes. I thought anything around par is going to be a good score. Usually, though, the first day or two it plays easier than the last couple. And there's a couple of guys that will shoot 3 or 4-under par. And it still may happen. But without rain it is difficult for us to go low, because the conditions are much firmer and faster.

Q. What did you hit on 7?
PHIL MICKELSON: 7, I hit a lob wedge.

Q. (Inaudible.)
PHIL MICKELSON: I put it on the tee.

Q. (Inaudible.)
PHIL MICKELSON: You hit it higher on the face.

Q. Second shot on 18?
PHIL MICKELSON: Second shot was 252, roughly, to the front. I was trying to hook it and got it in the front bunker.

Q. How were the greens?
PHIL MICKELSON: I thought they were very fair.

Q. How many times did you hit driver?
PHIL MICKELSON: I don't know. What did I hit, 2 and 3, 10, 14, 13 -- five times.

Q. Is Stockton in town, or are you going to give him a call?
PHIL MICKELSON: I think I may have keyed in on it on the putting green. But I'll call and talk and see if he saw anything. But, again, I have been putting well all last week.
So it's just a minor tweak here and there. The ball was jumping left and jumping right off the face. Something is off on my set up or stroke or something.

Q. (Inaudible.)
PHIL MICKELSON: It's just frustrating because I came in here prepared. I came in here ready. I hit a lot of good shots today. I gave myself a lot of birdie opportunities and putted terrible.

Q. USGA watered a lot of these greens?
PHIL MICKELSON: I don't think so. I think Mike Davis has a good grasp on the golf course. I think he knows how the course plays. He wants it to be a fair test. He's not looking to make 10 or 12 over win. He has a good understanding of what a fair test is without going over the line, at least for the last four years he seemed to have done a pretty good job, and every year gets better. I think he just has a good idea what he's doing. I think he's the greatest asset the USGA has, in my opinion.

End of FastScripts




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