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

WGC CADILLAC CHAMPIONSHIP


March 4, 2016


Phil Mickelson


Miami, Florida

Q. Great start, four consecutive birdies on the front and the feel of the round changed?
PHIL MICKELSON: I don't know what happened. I kind of lost focus the back nine. I just had a hard time focusing. I'm looking forward to the weekend. I'm playing really, really well.

Q. Par 3s look like they gave you a little trouble on the back nine. Can you just explain what happened on 15?
PHIL MICKELSON: I 3-putted 13 and missed a 4-footer, and hit a terrible wedge shot on 15. And then even further botched, I didn't have a hard up-and-down, I made double there. It wasn't a hard up-and-down. I just lost kind of my train of thought.

I'll be fresh and ready for the weekend. I feel like I'm driving the ball extremely well and my iron game is sharp, and even though that back nine wasn't what I wanted, it was kind of an anomaly. It's going to be a good weekend.

Q. Can you focus on what you did well on the front nine and use that as encouragement?
PHIL MICKELSON: You know, sometimes I just lose focus. I've been out a little early. I kind of overdid it maybe and got a little tired in the end and just lost my train of thought.

I hit a lot of good shots, even without it. I'm driving the ball really well. I'm hitting a lot of good iron shots. And I'm putting well. So it's going to be a good weekend.

Q. When you lose focus, where does your focus go to? What were you thinking of?
PHIL MICKELSON: Well, it's not like it travels. It's just hard to focus on what I'm doing. (Shrugs shoulders). It happens.

Q. How difficult is that balance, like you say, you were having fun on the golf course, so there must be a part of you that's thinking, let's go, let's go, let's go; and then a day like today where you realize, I might have overdid it and got tired. How difficult is that balance?
PHIL MICKELSON: It's always a challenge. That's the big challenge. But you know, the tough thing for me right now is to not focus on results, to just be patient. Because my play is -- this is the best I've played in a long time, and the results will come if I'm patient. I just have to stay sharp on the weekend and it's going to be a good weekend.

Q. Can you compare where you are in the process of where you are with the swing now and where you were when you won here in '09?
PHIL MICKELSON: I don't have a great recollection where I was six years ago or what have you. I just know that it's the best I've driven the ball, the easiest I've driven the ball. Misses are minuscule. Speed is back. Iron game is sharp. And I'm hitting fades, draws, high, low, everything at will without much thought. It's becoming much more instinctive. Game's starting to be instinctive; I think that's probably the best way to say it, where I don't have to think about the technique or the mechanics of anything. I just kind of look and react.

And when I'm playing well, golf is an instinctive sport. I look, I see the shot I want to hit, I feel the shot I want to hit and then I just execute. Somewhere, I lost one of those on the back nine today. But it will be back this weekend.

Q. A lot of players have different definitions for patience, where you are with your swing right now on this golf course, how would you define patience for you?
PHIL MICKELSON: Patience for me is regarding the results, you know, trusting that the results will come if I continue to play the way I'm playing. And sometimes we kind of force the issues and we want instant results, instant feedback. But I've had some pretty positive feedback, but I'm probably pushing the issue a little bit. I just need to settle down and let it happen, because this is the best I've played in a long time.

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