In his final round before the U.S. Open, Phil Mickelson turned in a 5-under 65 Sunday to finish third at the FedEx St. Jude Classic.
Mickelson made eight birdies, including a 25-footer on the final green to close his round in style.
“This was a good day, I played really well today,” Mickelson told CBS after the round. “More importantly I was able to control the miss for the most part on where I wanted it to go and it feels good. ... It was a nice feeling to see that putt drop.”
Mickelson, who has not won a tournament since the 2013 Open Championship, now heads to Chambers Bay with a bit of confidence in his game. Despite his generally underwhelming performance on Tour over the last couple years, the 44-year-old still shows up for the big events. Including this week, Mickelson has registered just four top-10s in the last two seasons, with two of them coming in the form of second-place finishes at the PGA Championship and the Masters.
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Mickelson, of course, has finished second at the U.S. Open a record six times. A victory would earn the five-time major winner the career Grand Slam.
Despite some of the criticism surrounding the layout, Mickelson continues to praise Chambers Bay, where he visited last month.
“I really like the golf course,” he said. ‘I think what Mike Davis said a few weeks ago is really true. If you’re going to be ready for this tournament it takes a lot more time to learn the golf course than just a couple of days. And if you’re having to use Monday through Wednesday to do that, you’re not putting that effort into your own game. So I’m pleased that I’ve developed kind of a game plan for each hole and how I’m going to get to certain pins.”
Mickelson said he would return to San Diego to practice at home on Monday and then arrive in Washington for practice rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday.
