What they said: Phil Mickelson at Torrey Pines

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PHIL MICKELSON: It was a good round today because it was playing difficult with the wind, and the greens were firm on the South, making the course more difficult. I thought anything under par would be a good round, but to come in at 2-under, I'm very pleased with that.

Q. How did you hit your new driver?

PHIL MICKELSON: I loved it. I hit some good ones that were not only straight but had a little bit of pace to them, too. I'm pretty pleased with the way the round went.

Q. How did the weather affect your round, if at all?

PHIL MICKELSON: Well, it was tough, but everybody had to play in it, and I think that's what's so great about this setup is everybody tees off between 8:30 and 10:30. We don't have these big time differences in our tee times.

Tomorrow will be interesting with the weather conditions coming in and being a lot more difficult. I think that I like being on the North Course where you can get away with a few mis-hits and hopefully I'll be able to turn in a low round tomorrow.

Q. They say it softens up the North Course a lot, though.

PHIL MICKELSON: It does, but softer is usually lower scores.

Q. What was your strategy with the driver off the deck?

PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah, it wasn't the smartest play there. I think I was trying to get one running right in front of the green. I thought I'd come up right in front and just chip up to that pin. But I had to miss it left. The left rough was fine or the fairway was fine, I'd be able to run it right up to that pin, but anything right wouldn't. I had been cutting that driver. I'd been working with it off the deck, and I thought I would hit a little fade, and I hit a bad shot.

It was a bad play to do that. I should have hit 3-wood down there and taken 6 out of play and possible birdie. But that's what happens. I was fortunate to walk away with par.

Q. It looked like you had some good putts.

PHIL MICKELSON: I did putt well. I'm starting to really understand the breaks now that I've played here a number of times since the redesign, and I took a lot of notes at the U.S. Open, so I'm starting to read them well. I made some good putts today.

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