Phil On Augusta's Greens: "Nothing scary like they used to be."

Very interesting stuff from Phil Mickelson in response to yours truly asking about the condition of Augusta National, the firmness of the course, the shift from Wednesday to Thursday, and how Augusta National isn't has scary as it used to be.

I think it's (A) a statement about how fast regular tour stop greens have been getting, and (B) a product of the recent attempts to reintroduce drama and scoring.

Anyway, Phil, take it away...

Q.  You mentioned that the course is closer to tournament conditions; do you think we'll see a little less of that kind of flip of the switch from Wednesday to Thursday?  And also, the fairways look like they are a little bit thicker, lusher; do you think that's going to have an impact on how things play out?

PHIL MICKELSON:  So the grass is in incredible shape.  It's probably ‑‑ I mean, every year we come out and talk about how pristine Augusta is, but the reason I believe this is the best I've ever seen it is the areas that over the years have historically given problems or been thin, like the fairway shot on 13, even around the green on 12, where you don't get as much sun exposure, these are perfect.  The areas that have historically had problems are not having a problem this year.  They are perfect.

But as far as that switch you talk about going from Wednesday or Thursday, there has not been a switch in five years.  We make bigger divots on these greens than we make on the regular PGA TOUR.  These greens are softer than what we play week‑in and week‑out.  They are slightly faster, but nothing scary like they used to be.  They are more undulated but they are maybe a foot faster than what we play on the TOUR.  And quite honestly, they have been softer the last five years than anything we play on TOUR other than Pebble or something like that.

Fighting words! Does a certain three-time champion want the greens a little firmer, perhaps?

So when we used to have to know the course and know how the ball was going to be running and feeding, the ball doesn't run.  We are hitting 6‑irons that are stopping within a foot.  It's historically, like I say, only been the last five years, there's been no switch on Thursday and the greens have been soft.  You can fire at a lot of these pins without any fear.  I mean, I'm backing it up on some of those holes that I've never backed it up on.

So that fear factor has not been there, and I don't anticipate them going back to the way we expect.  I think it's going to stay kind of soft.

Phil & Condi Whap It Around ANGC, Talk Countries & Courses

Doug Ferguson on Sunday's Phil Mickelson-Condoleeza Rice round at Augusta National that included a long putt drained by the former Secretary of State. Shotlink had the 18th hole putt at...oh right, we don't do ShotLink at the majors. TMI!

Anyway, this was noteworthy...

Rice later donned her green jacket to meet with other members on the practice range.

She slipped away without taking questions. Members typically don't give interviews during the week of the Masters. Mickelson couldn't stop talking about her - especially her 40-foot par putt on the 18th hole. He says Rice asked him about courses, and he asked her about countries.

Update on 2013-04-08 02:35 by Geoff

**Ferguson files a longer story on the Rice-Mickelson game and how it came about along with how golf on Sunday at Augusta National works.

A Ron Williams photo also accompanies the story.

"Awesome," Mickelson said after playing 18 holes with his agent and Augusta members Rice and Lee Styslinger. "She's one of my favorite people to be around. She's so knowledgeable and interesting to talk to. I always learn so much. When I saw she became a member, one of the first things I did was schedule a game close to Masters time. The fact she's here, we were able to work it out. It was really cool."

Apparently Golf Channel had the first images of Ms. Rice in green and showed it on Golf Central Sunday.

Video: Phil Explains How You Too Can Recover From Cart Paths

Steve DiMeglio on how Phil Mickelson hit a 450-yard drive on the 419-yard 17th hole, finished on a cart path and then made birdie en route to an opening 67 in the WGC Cadillac at Doral.

The video:



Even better, Phil's got a few minutes of footage "in the can" for his next short game DVD upon giving Steve Sands an impromptu live clinic on the Art Of The Cart Path Recovery:

Phil Up To 12-1 In Masters Futures Odds

A fitting bump after his resurrection in the desert last week, reports Alex Miceli.  

Video: Phil's (Bank?) Putt On Way To Winning Waste Management

On a shot you'd normally expect him to hit the flop shot only Phil can pull off, he putts it, maybe gets a slight graze off the intermediate cut, and it goes in.

Q.  We know you're a magician on the greens, but on No. 7, was it really your intention to bank the putt off the collar of the fringe and into the hole?
   
PHIL MICKELSON:  Yes.  (Laughter.)

I had to putt 20 feet through the fringe.  That was    the challenge of that was to judge the speed where half the putt is through fringe and half is on the green.

I got lucky to have made it, obviously.  I was just trying to 2 putt it.  It was doing fairly quickly when it got to the hole, probably would have been six, eight feet by.  I was very fortunate to make a 2 there.  With Brandt in there close, that was a big momentum change for us.

With the win--his 41st and one that tied for the second lowest score in PGA Tour history Mickelson helped move the news cycle away from Vijay's deer antler spray and back to golf, says John Strege.

Mickelson also moves to No. 10 in the world and Brandt Snedeker, runner-up, moves to No. 6, wrties Jason Sobel.

Make sure to watch to see the aerial view from NBC:

Video: Phil Fires 60 With Power Lipout On Last Hole

Fighting through the painful emotions of seeing old sparring partner Vijay Singh overcome some seriously bad press, Phil Mickelson fired an 11-under 60 in the opening round of 2013 Waste Management Open play.

As of now, the PGA Tour's YouTube page has posted Phil's birdie putt on the 8th hole, his 17th, which he left short. Why, I have no idea.

Thankfully, the putt we actually want to see was posted by a fan is now posted by the tour. Note the multiple cameras and great work by NBC's crew to capture the moment.

Update on 2013-01-31 23:19 by Geoff

**Sam Weinman says this one already ranks in the top 5 of all time lipouts.

Update on 2013-02-01 02:38 by Geoff

**Phil's post round interview with Mark Rolfing is fun...if you can handle the plugs for his new Callaway driver. Phil gets to see the lipout for the first time on video:

Update on 2013-02-01 02:37 by Geoff

**A wise reader who wished to remain nameless notes that some golfers shoot their age, with this 60 Phil shot his tax bracket.

Update on 2013-02-01 02:47 by Geoff

**Michael Collins caught up with Jim "Bones" Mackay in the parking lot to talk about the round.

Update on 2013-02-01 05:13 by Geoff

**Nice roundup of the 60 and player comments by Gary Van Sickle.