Phil Mickelson Quotations

The only way to win tournaments is with the short game. Over half your shots out here are within 30 or 40 yards. Ballstriking is where I'm trying to improve, yes, but more to eliminate big numbers than make birdies.

The object of golf is not just to win. It is to play like a gentleman, and win.

The final group, on Sunday at the Masters, is the greatest feeling in the world for a professional golfer.

I remember when I first came out on tour, it was Greg Norman and Nick Price. We forget how big Norman was, what a presence he was. I remember one of my first tournaments, Greg threw an orange peel down on the ground and some fan ran over and grabbed it. 'This is Greg Norman's orange peel!'

I try to respect everybody out here: players, caddies, fans, media.

I think a college education is important no matter what you do in life.

It'll be nice not to have to use my fake IDs anymore.

My kids and I sometimes will just sit in my office and talk about what the world was like 68 million years ago. Amanda, our oldest daughter, wanted to be a paleontologist for a long time.

My family has reduced the effect of my career on my self-esteem. When I'm with them, they make me feel special regardless of how I play.

I hate to play a tournament in which I'm not contending. It's just not any fun for me.

I have come to understand and appreciate writers much more recently since I started working on a book last fall. Before that, I thought golf writers got up every morning, played a round of golf, had lunch, showed up for our last three holes and then went to dinner.

I love competing against the best players. I have a huge challenge, and that's to win a U.S. Open and complete the Grand Slam. I enjoy that challenge. Every year it comes around, I get excited to try to conquer that opportunity. I love it.

Let's say she's a 15-year-old boy playing in men's tournaments, in the Amateur Public Links and winning these matches, or coming within strokes of missing the cut in a PGA tournament. When I was 17 I couldn't come close to making a cut, and at the time I was doing very well in junior golf. I just can't believe any 15 year old, especially a young girl, could be doing what she's doing. I can't fathom it. It's just amazing.

I don't know why we haven't put it together. Certainly the depth of the field makes it very difficult to win.

I had played the course exclusively with a fade, but there are a number of holes where you can move the ball left-to-right (draw) and have it be very effective.

We talked about this five years ago, that the next generation of players was going to be an athlete who can take advantage of the technology. They hit bombs, but they can also chip and putt. Basically, long-drive guys who can play. That's what we're seeing in J.B. Holmes and Bubba Watson and Villegas, they have great touches with wedges and putting and short game. They are very difficult to beat.

When I practiced on the course I thought guys would be lucky to be two or three under par.

He's a brilliant individual and he's one of the guys that I respect the most, because of a lot of the decisions and ideas he has. I know that we somewhat stole the idea to make the World Golf Championships. So there you go. It must have been a pretty good idea.

It almost feels like make-believe. My first thought was, 'I did it! I finally did it!' I knew I could, but I finally did it.

I think the International Team is obviously very strong. We know that it's going to be a tough go of it, and we know how supportive the hometown crowd is towards their heroes.

It has been a long day but a wonderful day. I will look back and cherish some of the shots and putts I was able to make. I was able to manage my misses and on the back nine I drove it as well as I ever have.

I think that's probably been the thing I was most proud of about today's round. On this course, everybody is going to make mistakes. But sometimes it's hard to forget about it and let it go.

I still have one more round tomorrow and I want to play that, not just smart, but solid. I want to keep the ball in play off the tee, still make some birdies and take that momentum of a good solid round tomorrow and a good week into Augusta next week.

I still think that was the greatest Masters ever. That was awesome.

It could very easily be double-digit-over-par to win. If they make it remotely close to USGA standards, the course will be very close to unplayable.

Three for nine sounds better, huh? I would say the reason is that I have started to prepare better for these tournaments and that I am in better control of my game now.

It was a huge help. I needed the new driver to combat the added length here at Augusta.

As professional golfers, we like to pride ourselves on the ability to block out things and focus in only on the shot at hand and only on the round. You're talking about not just the best player in the game, but the best at being able to do that, to block everything out. I don't think that it will be a factor in Tiger's game at all.

As much as I want to be part of history, of the history of this tournament and part of the history of the game, it's not something I dwell on. Starting tomorrow, we'll start preparing for Winged Foot.

It's the one hole that I've ever seen where there's no bail-out. Usually, one side of a hole is trouble and the other side is playable. On that particular hole, you have to hit essentially a perfect shot or miss it within a certain margin of error.

The next major isn't for another seven months. I just want to relish this, and enjoy the fact that for the next seven months, I'm the most recent major winner.

It's an amazing feeling to be the winner and to be able to hold this trophy.

I'm going to try and keep stride with Tiger and maybe we can have another shot at it on Sunday like we did last year.

I knew it was going to be a long, tough day. But in the end, it was real fun and I ended up playing well.

I needed to combat the added length here at Augusta. This is the only course that I can think of that I will probably do it. I did it last week to get accustomed to it. I don't know where else I'll end up needing to do that, but it was a huge help here.

I played OK, I'm not disappointed. I don't like shooting over par, but that just means I need to put a good round together tomorrow.

I don't think there's any magic in four majors, there can only be four majors, like tennis. There are four tournaments that tend to stand out with history and challenge and strength of field and so forth. This is becoming one of them.

I feel a lot more confident in my game than I did heading into the other majors. I really want to put everything I have into finishing off the year right.

A muni just means it's owned by the city. It doesn't mean it's an easy or hard course.

Its just as disappointing as it was thrilling to win the Masters. To come very close, to play so hard for 72 holes and play better than everybody but one guy is disappointing.

Well, you know, I don't really want to trade next year. I certainly enjoyed having the jacket put on me rather than putting it on.

I don't think my style of play is what has prevented me from winning major championships. I think that execution has been more of a factor.

I have not found my perspective on my career change. What I have found is that my life in general has been more fulfilling. To be able to influence an individual's life and on who they become as a person is a very rewarding feeling.

What I like to do is to try to win as many tournaments and as many majors as I can, and with him [Tiger Woods] in the field, it just gives it more credibility, whatever it is I am able to accomplish.

The winner of this tournament doesn't just win a major. He become a part of the history of the game.

Where you can make up ground is if the wind blows and your opponents make big numbers. I think you can shoot three, four, five-under par. But to make up a six, seven or eight-shot lead, that will be tough without the leaders coming back.

It should almost be a prerequisite to play Castle Stuart before you're allowed to design golf courses nowadays.

I would rather try a shot to win than play safe and finish second.

If you add up all the federal and you look at the disability and the unemployment and the Social Security and the state, my tax rate's 62, 63 percent. So I've got to make some decisions on what I'm going to do.

I think it's more than whether or not you win or lose. It's having that opportunity on that final round, final nine, to come down the stretch with a chance to win.

My style of play won't ever change, because I enjoy that aggressive style of golf. It allows me to play my best. When I attack pins, I stay more focused. I get more into the shot and, consequently, I get more out of the shot and out of my game by playing aggressive.

The more you study the course, the more you appreciate what a great test it is.

Changing would not give me the best chance to win. I need to have fun. I need to attack.

The thing I was most proud of about today's round was that on this course everybody is going to make mistakes, but sometimes it's hard to forget about it and let it go. After I made a double on 1, I was able to be patient and let it go and came back with birdies on 3 and 5. When I bogeyed 6, I was able to let it go and come back with a birdie on 8. I was able to let go of some bad shots and forget about it and move on.

A great shot is when you pull it off. A smart shot is when you don't have the guts to try it.