69 Quotes by Phil Mickelson

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.