Phil Mickelson still feels the thrill. The thrill of just driving down Magnolia Lane. The thrill of hitting the magical 6-iron 207 yards off pine needles to a few feet from the pin on the critical 13th hole last spring. The thrill of winning the Masters for the third time. And the thrill of having wife, Amy, and their children there with him last year when he won last April.
“Like you can’t believe,” he quickly said on Tuesday when asked how it feels to turn onto that canopied driveway that welcomes golfers into Augusta National. He also discussed, among other topics, what will happen to the 6-iron, how the course stays relevant and the potential menu for the annual Champions Dinner for the 75th Masters.
Mickelson said the feeling goes back to when he was a boy, watching the tournament as a kid in California and telling his mother, “I want to win that tournament.” He said the Masters gives every young golfer something to strive for.
“When we arrive at the premises at Augusta, it exceeds our dreams, which is hard to do,” he said.
Q: You mentioned earlier this year you were still working out some things about the Champions Dinner. I don't know if you've got any further along. Is there anything you can share about that?
A: Well, I've been in contact with Seve Ballesteros and I just sent him an e-mail saying that if he were able to come and feeling healthy enough [Ballesteros is still recovering from treatment for a brain tumor in 2008] to be able to make this tournament, I would love to have the dinner be something that he would like, like a Spanish dish of paella or whatever he thought would be appropriate. I wanted to kind of honor him.
But unfortunately I don’t think he’s going to be able to make it, given some e-mails we’ve received. I don’t think he’s planning on attending. So our thoughts and prayers are going to be with him that evening.
I learned one thing over the years. Many of the past champions, they love beef and they love meat. And because of that, I want to honor the past champions at Augusta. I plan on having a trio of different meats, whether it be bison or venison or just filet. I was thinking about kind of honoring the guys with a bunch of different meats, as well as a lot of green vegetables.
Q: Will you try that shot again [with the 6-iron] when you make your first trip alongside the 13th hole?
A: Well, I may, yeah. I probably will go to that spot. I do that every year on the final putt that I made in 2004 to win. I hit that putt every time I play there. I always go back and look at it.
I very well may go to that spot because that is an important spot, an important shot for the tournament last year, and I will look at that. However, I do plan on hitting the fairway all four days.
Q: The shot you hit with the 6-iron got so much attention. Did you do anything special with that club? And do you collect stuff and put it away to go back and look at little mementos?
A: Well, no. I keep the sets of clubs that I won major championships with. I usually try. I change my clubs at least once a year, for the reason that I like to have a fresh set. I like to have fresh grooves and I usually wear down the face through practice sessions, especially the short irons where I spend most of my time practicing.
I do have every club in a bag in my golf room back home from last year’s win and I will be giving the 6-iron to the club to be on display.
Q: As a follow, can you take us through what everybody remembers: the moment on 18, when Amy came out and you didn't know that was going to occur? Can you take us through what you remember?
A: Well, I just remember hugging her and not wanting to let go and we were still right in the thick of [her cancer treatments]. And we are doing so much better now, and Amy is doing so much better, and we are in such a better place.
Q. Can you address the evolution of course setup to make the course challenging for you guys, but as well, to bring back the roars?
A: Well, it was my opinion that the first three years, where the changes on the golf course were made to make it more challenging or longer, we had terrible weather. And I believe the terrible weather is really what kept the scores from being low and also prevented the roars and the birdies and the eagles that we had had in previous years.
The last few years we have had terrific weather, and I think that has brought back some of the low scores. But really in the last year or two, there also were some additional changes to the course that gave it more flexibility. Meaning, there were tee boxes that were lengthened in the front. So that if we did get bad weather, there was an option to move tees forward to make the course still exciting with birdie and eagle opportunities.
Masters
April 7-10, Augusta National Golf Club
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