Phil Mickelson
When Phil Mickelson arrives at the entrance of Augusta National and guides his car down the historic, tree-lined path of Magnolia Lane, he will carry with him four wedges, three Masters titles and one warm, magnificent feeling.
Even after 18 years of experience playing the Masters, Mickelson still gets a shudder and a thrill when he arrives at the gate leading into Augusta National.
"Like you can't believe," Mickelson said Tuesday. "It reminds me when I was a kid, it reminds me when I was 10 years old watching Seve Ballesteros win in 1980 and saying to my mom that I want to win that tournament, I want to be like that. It reminds me of dreams that I had as a child, and I feel like Augusta National and the Masters Tournament give every kid in the game of golf who dreams of playing professionally, dreams of winning major championships something to strive for, something to dream about. And when we arrive at the premises at Augusta, it exceeds our dreams - which is hard to do."
It has been a busy work routine for Mickelson in order to prepare himself for the rigors of defending the title he won last year, when he came from one shot down on the last day to squeeze out a three-shot victory over Lee Westwood. Mickelson has heavily front-loaded his schedule to begin 2011 and will eventually wind up playing five consecutive weeks - through the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship in late February.
He said the stretch is completely necessary because he wants his confidence level to remain at the high level to which he's accustomed by the time he comes to the Masters April 7-10. He also uses the tournaments to devise a game plan for the Masters - he carried two drivers in his bag to win in 2006, and he currently carries four wedges.
Winning three green jackets has done wonders for his inner strength, Mickelson said.
"The feeling when I get coming back to Augusta National is such an incredible feeling knowing that I've won the golf tournament and that I've had such success there and now I'm part of the history of the Masters. There's no better feeling for a golfer than to feel that," Mickelson said.
"Really, that was when I won in 2004 that I started to feel like I was really a part of the tournament. So winning three times, it gives me a lot of confidence that I know how to play Augusta National effectively and that I'm able to do well at that golf course in the Masters Tournament. It's a great feeling of confidence when I drive through the gates of Magnolia, and I think that that's one of the reasons why I've been successful there is that when I drive through the gates I have this feeling of confidence that I know how to play the golf course, that I don't have to play it perfectly and that the strength of my game, which is the short game, can often save or salvage rounds and pars for me and keep me in contention."
Being in contention at the Masters has become the routine for Mickelson. Since his first Masters as a professional in 1993, Mickelson has missed finishing in the top 10 only four times out of 17 Masters. Besides his three victories - in 2004, 2006 and 2010 - Mickelson also owns four thirds and two fifths.
His scoring average of 70.99 is second only to Tiger Woods' 70.81 among anyone who has played more than 50 rounds at the Masters. And his six 72-hole totals of 280 or below are tied for first with Gary Player, Tom Watson and Woods.
Mickelson remains one of the most consistently brilliant players in Masters history, said 1992 Masters champion Fred Couples.
"Phil has a comfort level because he drives it long, he cuts the ball - which helps - and he is a master around the greens," Couples said. "His stats and his game are a lot like Tom Watson's. He drew the ball, hit it high, hit it long, great around the greens. These guys were rarely out of the top 10.
"I'm sure Phil goes in thinking, 'I'm going to be there.' "
Mickelson has certainly been there before in a lot of places, with 38 PGA Tour victories in his career. As he enters this week's Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., Mickelson is a combined 33-under par in his three PGA Tour starts in 2011, including a second in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, where he had four rounds in the 60s, and a tie for ninth in the AT&T National Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
In a few short weeks, Mickelson will have an opportunity to add another line to his resume at Augusta National and the Masters. He said he's more than looking forward to just getting there to defend his title . . . again.
"It's certainly cool when you drive down Magnolia Lane having won the year before," he said. "You get to attend the Champions Dinner at the head of the table there, with (Augusta National Golf Club Chairman) Billy Payne. Also, the confidence of knowing that you just played well there and you get to look back at some of the shots, the ones you hit well, and you have this positive feel. You know you can score a low number there."
And Mickelson knows this, too, about the Masters. The numbers certainly added up for him last year.
full transcript from the teleconference with 2010 Masters champion Phil Mickelson.
