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FEDEX ST. JUDE CLASSIC


June 8, 2013


Phil Mickelson


MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

Q.  That 3-putt bogey at 9 was a little bit disappointing.  How huge was the par save at 12 to kind of carry you through the back-9?
PHIL MICKELSON:  It was a big one.  I let a couple of opportunities go on 10.  I had a good putt at it and 11, didn't hit as close a shot.  When I could potentially lose one on 12 that would have really stung, but making the putt and seeing the ball go in was a good feeling.  I came back and birdied two holes later.

Q.  Going to give you a pretty decent time.  Who knows where you'll be.
PHIL MICKELSON:  No.  The golf course is set-up different than the first two days.  The tees are up, the pins are in spots you can get to.  It's designed to get the real low round in there.  I wouldn't be surprised if somebody shot 7, 8-under par today, especially without the wind.
Tomorrow will be a different day.  Potential to move the tees back and tuck the pins more.  A day where over-par is a potential score for some of the leaders and if you can shoot 4, 5, 6-under you might be able to catch them.

Q.  Go out there and do that tomorrow.
PHIL MICKELSON:  Thanks Dennis.

Q.  An eagle and 6 birdies on the day.  You had to be excited about the way you were able to score today.
PHIL MICKELSON:  I played a lot better today than I did yesterday and I've gotten better each day, Scott.  It feels good to make some putts, to hit some good, quality shots.  But I still let some shots slide.
I still made three bogies.  I didn't take advantage of some birdie opportunities.  I've got the ability hopefully, tomorrow, if I improve to shoot that really low round and catch the leaders.  It was close to being that round today.  I could really catch glimpses of getting my game where I want it.

Q.  Overall, what will be left to do to make sure that those bogies stay away?
PHIL MICKELSON:  Just a little bit sharper on each swing.  There were a couple of tee shots that didn't catch the fairway.  I've got to get that ball in the fairway.  And I did a better job of it today, and consequently, I was able to make a lot of birdies because I could be aggressive from there.  I also just have to miss it in the proper spot, too.

Q.  Overall, obviously Pebble Beach is the best example of a comeback.  What's the anatomy of a comeback that makes you confident, because you've done it before you can do it again?
PHIL MICKELSON:  Tomorrow the course will play a lot different than today.  Today it's designed to go low.  The tees are up, the pins are in easy spots.  Tomorrow it will be different.  It will be longer and the pins tucked.
It will be difficult to make birdies.  If you can make four, five, the leaders have the potential to shoot over-par, especially if we get wind.  There's been no wind today.

Q.  Certainly not the way to end it, there on 18 that's to that --
PHIL MICKELSON:  It was a nice way to make birdie.  I hit a 3-wood and got it down there.  Because of the helping wind, I was able to hit gap wedge to 8 feet.  You had to read it perfectly because I couldn't read it and Bones had a good read.  It was a good feeling to finish with birdie.

Q.  You predicted what you're going to do the next day and it's come through.
PHIL MICKELSON:  I was a little bit rusty, especially the first 9, made some bogies and a double.  I got much better the second day and even better today.
There's a couple bogies today that I need to get rid of for tomorrow's round.  I feel like I'm playing well enough where I can go out and shoot a low round tomorrow.  I expect the course to play different tomorrow than it did today.  Today was set-up for moving day.  The tees were up, the pins were in easy spots, no wind.
I wouldn't be surprised if somebody comes in with a 6, 7, 8-under par round today.  It was certainly out there.  But I played well today and I'm looking forward to tomorrow's final round.

Q.  What is the best round you can do for tomorrow?  You can put yourself in position.  You don't have to shoot 63, 64.
PHIL MICKELSON:  I'm anticipating more difficult conditions and wind.  I expected 4, 5-under par will be a very good score in those conditions.  Today 5-under par is a good score, but it's not great given the set-up.  And I think tomorrow it will be -- have to play a lot better to shoot the same score.

Q.  Can you take us through the eagle there on the front side and what you hit?
PHIL MICKELSON:  I had 3-wood off the tee.  The ball chased down the fairway.  I only had 190 to the hole.  I hit a 6-iron.  I just hit kind of a high cut soft 6 iron that landed on the front and released to about 8, 10 feet and ended up making that.

Q.  How much was it needed at that point?
PHIL MICKELSON:  Well, I ended up -- I'll tell you what's even bigger was the putt on No. 2 from off the green.  I bogeyed the first hole.  Not how I want to start the round.  I want to get one back.  I'm off the green on 2, and the putt I hit was going pretty quick.  Might have gone about eight feet by.
Ended up catching the middle of the hole and going in.  That was every bit as important as the eagle putt.  The eagle putt propelled the round and got me going.  That one was a big one on the 2nd hole.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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