Q: I know you’re disappointed in what happened here at Winged Foot. Was it more your game or just battling Winged Foot?
PHIL MICKELSON: I enjoyed the week and I enjoyed the challenge that this golf course provides. I think it’s always one of the hardest tests that we play but one of the most fun challenges because of the… gosh, the character of the course all throughout, from shot-making to putting and short game. I think it’s a terrific place to play golf and I’m appreciative of the opportunity to have been able compete here and I’m disappointed I didn’t play better.
Q: What is your plan moving forward now, Phil?
PHIL MICKELSON: I’m going to head home and take a few weeks off and go from there.
Q: Will you maybe play some more Champions Tour events?
PHIL MICKELSON: I don’t know yet.
Q: Did it kind of spiral on you yesterday, getting on a bad track with the bogeys that you made?
PHIL MICKELSON: I find that I’ve been playing very well at home, and I get out here where the penalty for a mis-hit is severe, and I find myself getting a little tight and a little steer-y, and playing some of my worst golf. And that’s something I’ve got to work on and fix. When I go back home, I don’t have the stress and I seem to play just fine, but I’ve got to be able to bring it out here under these conditions.
Q: Were you at all more free today with it?
PHIL MICKELSON: So-so. I played OK for a while and then let it go.
Q: How important was it for you to come back here and compete, 14 years on from 2006? What are your feelings about this return?
PHIL MICKELSON: It’s fun for me to return, it’s fun for me to come back here. I love the people here and I’m sorry they weren’t able to come out to the tournament. But I think it’s one of the best golf courses that we play and play majors on and it was fun for me to have to play and compete here one more time.
Q: Have you given any thought to whether this might be your final U.S. Open?
PHIL MICKELSON: I don’t know.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports