Q. What do you think of the conditions so far playing a round today?
PHIL MICKELSON: We had a pretty good break before the rain came in. It came in just the last couple holes. Our group had a pretty good break, I thought.
Q. How would you sum up the day, Phil?
PHIL MICKELSON: I really enjoyed it. I played really well, and I had an opportunity. Like I really enjoy playing these conditions and playing this tournament. It's just a lot of fun.
Q. Phil magic out of the bunker there?
PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah, that was a crazy one. It was really one of maybe two poor shots I hit, I felt. That bunker shot that buried in the lip, and then to make it, it was obviously a lot of luck. It was crazy. I was just trying to save bogey, and I got lucky and it went in.
I really hit a lot of good shots today, and it wasn't too stressful.
Q. The Americans seem to appreciate this course being in Portrush for this event. What makes it so special or different for you?
PHIL MICKELSON: I just find that it's a very rewarding course if you hit good shots and a very penalising course. It seems to be consistent with the degree of how good or bad you hit it. Like if you hit a really good shot, it gets really rewarded. If you hit a really bad shot, it gets in a really bad spot, as opposed to getting away with really bad shots and get lucky. It seems like it penalizes it to the degree which it should.
Q. You hit some really smart shots today. How much of your Open experience was that due to?
PHIL MICKELSON: I think, when you get conditions like this, you start to fall back on realizing that 60, 80 feet in the proper spot is like a good spot, and you start to realize that you can make 20- or 30-footers out here. You don't have to hit it 6 feet to make birdie. You can hit it 20, 30 feet because the greens don't break a lot, you can hit them aggressively.
I didn't make a ton of long ones, but I made a lot of short ones and a lot of good up-and-downs and lag putting. You find that going back on past experience, you don't have to press it. You don't have to force it.
Q. What are your thoughts on the Grant Horvat situation? I know you guys are close and the PGA TOUR made that decision.
PHIL MICKELSON: I've really enjoyed playing my matches with Grant. He's the nicest guy, and he's been very helpful for me to kind of get into the YouTube space, a space that I don't really know a lot about. I'm starting to learn -- I'm learning from him. I'm learning from Bryson. They've been both very, very helpful.
Q. Do you think that's a missed opportunity, though?
PHIL MICKELSON: I'm not going to go into the weeds on that. I just really like him.
Q. What about the fans here, Phil? Can you say just what you think of them?
PHIL MICKELSON: The people here are just so nice. They're very warm and receptive for everybody. I think they're very appreciative too that The Open has come back here. And we as players are very appreciative too because it's such a great golf course.
Q. Speaking of The Open coming back, the women's open game is going to Royal Porthcawl. Do you have any experience on that course in Wales?
PHIL MICKELSON: I don't, no. I've heard great things, but I don't have any past experience.
Q. After a dozen years, how much pride do you take in adapting your game to this style of play at that stage in your career?
PHIL MICKELSON: I think winning The Open in 2013 was the greatest accomplishment in my career because I had to learn a style of golf that I didn't grow up playing. It's kind of the greatest source of pride for me as a player to overcome those obstacles. Now I've come to really love it, enjoy it, and I seem to play well in some of the adverse conditions too.
Q. Why was it important for you to do that?
PHIL MICKELSON: I think it's a sign of a complete player, to be able to win in all the conditions of the majors that they provide. Obviously I've never won a U.S. Open, but winning a Masters requires a whole different style of play than winning a U.S. Open and a PGA. This is unique as well. I just think it's a sign of a complete player.
Q. Are you surprised they haven't gone back there yet?
PHIL MICKELSON: Gone back where?
Q. Back to Muirfield. There still seems to be some question about if they'll get back there any time soon.
PHIL MICKELSON: I don't know. I don't really get into the politics on that. There's some things I get in politics on, but not that.
Q. You'd like to see it, though, right? Especially before you're done playing.
PHIL MICKELSON: I love it. I love it. I think the great thing about the Masters is every year we get to go back and relive those memories if you've won it.
Here we are, I've won The Open, I haven't had the opportunity to go back and relive those memories and compete there again. As players, we all enjoy that. So I would love it if we do get back there, but it's not my call.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports