Phil Mickelson looked like his old self at Liv Golf Hong Kong this week, struck many fairways and greens, finishing in solo third, the best result of his Liv Golf career.
“Lefty” posted a 14 underperscore, finishing a four-stroke behind the winner Sergio Garcia. Mickelson fired a 6-under 64 on Sunday, climbing into the top three.
“It felt easy,” Mickelson said.
“I probably led the field with fairway hits. I've never seen statistics, but I'll be surprised if someone hits more than me. My game is sharp. My short game is back. I've had a rough few years. My short game is really sharp right now. My iron play is back, my game is really starting to appear, and I'm playing differently. I play less stress, but that's what's coming.”
Next month comes the Masters, where Mickelson won three times. He also posted a T-2 finish at Augusta National in 2023 after filming the final round of 65.
“It's actually correct in my thought process, but to make it work well. [at Augusta]I have to incorporate it, so this tournament will become even more important,” added Mickelson.
“I played a lot in Adelaide, but it didn't work. I play a lot here, cleaned up some things, made some good putts over three days, kept cleaning it, got sharp and sharp, just feeling the pressure and excitement stretched, Augusta is ready. But I need to keep building, keep improving, keep tweaking. But I'm finding a different style of golf that allows me to shoot a score that can compete with the best players, but I can just compete in a different way.”
Mickelson noted that this different approach doesn't involve overwhelming the golf course. But given that he has one of the best short games of all time, the six major winners have what he needs to compete on any course against anyone. Look no further than what he did on Kiawa Island four years ago.
Still, Mickelson doesn't know what he needs to do to win again.
“I have to find another way to beat these guys, so I hit a lot of fairways this week, which allows my iron play to come out,” Mickelson said.
“I actually hit a lot of good putts today, but it wasn't getting much in, but my speed was a bit off, too. I had a really good week. I putt a lot, I hit a lot of good shots, but like I say, I'm not going to overwhelm them, so I have to find another way to beat these guys. I'm thinking about that.”
Jack Mirco is a golf staff writer who plays SB Nation. Follow him with x @jack_milko.
