Phil Mickelson Press Conference

Special interview after the game with Phil Mickelson 

Q. Can we please get your reaction to the news about LIV and how you feel about World Ranking points and what you think this means for LIV and the development of LIV?

  - PHIL MICKELSON: I think from a player standpoint, it feels great to have everyone at LIV fighting so hard for the players and their best interests. I think for the World Golf Rankings, this is a great way to keep its credibility, while not bringing in politics into the decision-making process. I think it's good for all parties.

Q. (Inaudible.)

  - PHIL MICKELSON: The reason I'm not concerned is that the number of points are based on the quality of the field and not the organization that's running the tournament, and the quality of our field is remarkably strong, and I'm sure for the world golf rankings to maintain their credibility, they'll continue to award the proper number of points that the tournaments deserve for all tours.

Q. Are you surprised at all how it came together? Seemingly a fairly shrewd idea they came up with here to go through that tour.

  - PHIL MICKELSON: Given the many obstacles that we have had to face from those trying to stop it, I think it's a great way to do this in addition to adding in a developmental tour for the Asian Tour who will be our feeding tour going forward. So I think it's a win on all parts.

Q. Being your first time in Thailand, what's it like? Anything that stands out? Are you enjoying yourself?
  - PHIL MICKELSON: I'm very impressed with the quality of the food. I love the food. So I have to be careful. I am very impressed with the golf course. This is my first exposure, first time in Thailand, and the golf course is remarkable. Obviously it's in incredible shape. I don't know if I've seen a golf course in this good a condition. But it's also a wonderful design, very fun to play, great risk-reward, and I'm very glad to see such world-class architecture, design and golf in other parts of the world and right here in Thailand.

Q. Now that you're with LIV Golf, how do you feel about the possibility down the road that LIV Golf will be played more here in Asia-Pacific? And the second part of the question, do you feel that Asia could potentially be one of the biggest fan bases for the team concept of LIV Golf, and do you look forward to that?

  - PHIL MICKELSON: So I do agree with you that the team concept is very well received in this part of the world here in southeast Asia. I've also noticed a strong interest and appreciation for LIV Golf coming here, and I've noticed that there are a lot of people flying in from other countries to be here and to be a part of this and watch. I think that this area has wanted this level of professional golf for a long time, and now that it's here, I find everyone here is very appreciative.

The way that LIV Golf is being received here and welcomed and wanted in Thailand and other countries here in southeast Asia, I think that there's a very good chance we'll have more events here, and I think that's the strength of this organization is its ability to move throughout the world and bring golf at the highest level throughout the world, grow the interest in the game of golf throughout the world, and I would see that continuing to grow and develop even more here.

Q. You're coming off your best round at LIV Golf; how do you feel about your game, and how do you feel about the Hy Flyers with two events left before Miami?

  - PHIL MICKELSON: So my game has been starting to come around, and Chicago was a bit of a breakthrough for me where I was able to slow my mind down and let the game become easy again and start to hit good shots and not race, not jump ahead but stay present. I expect that I'll be able to continue that and continue to play well here. I expect to have a good week. I love the golf course. Our team is positioned to make a move.

The way we look at it is we have two opportunities to get past Friday of Doral, so if we have to play in a match on Friday, we have to win the match to get to Saturday, or we can play really well these next two weeks, get into the top four amongst the teams and get a bye through Friday and only have to play Saturday. That's kind of the way we're looking at it; it's our first of two opportunities to make it to the weekend at Doral.

Q. You are going to be playing with Thai players on the first day. What is your feeling or your feedback about Thai players? You have been seeing them, especially TK?
  - PHIL MICKELSON: Yes, I think that Thailand has done really a great job of developing good young talented players, and you're starting to see those players prosper and play well throughout the world. From Prom Meesawat to Kiradech, and TK is of rare talent. He's going to be something special. We're seeing now the good young players from this country start to compete and show how good they are on the professional level.

Q. As a veteran, how do you feel you can influence the game of golf and the younger generations coming up in future?
  - PHIL MICKELSON: So I'm trying to do that now in the partnership with LIV and the ability to bring golf to other parts of the world other than the United States. I think that the growth opportunity in the game is more global now, and we're seeing the interest in other countries, and we're seeing the opportunities in other countries, and LIV Golf is in a great spot to capitalize on that and benefit from it, but also give to those communities and help develop the game in other countries.

Q. LIV is expected to travel to sing pour next year, and you've played in Singapore and have many fans there. Can I get your thoughts about coming back to Singapore?
  - PHIL MICKELSON: I really enjoyed the opportunity to play there. I thought Sentosa was a great golf course to host a world-class event, and I thought it was a very fascinating country. I think Lee Kuan Yew is one of the greatest leaders, and the way he started that country and developed it, I thought he's done some really great things where you don't have any natural resources, to create one of the greatest harbors, to have it be such a clean city and to create such wealth for all of their citizens. I think he requires 10 percent of every paycheck of your paycheck to go to your retirement account. I think that he set up rules that you have to own and operate a business for 10 years before you're able to get into politics. I think he's created a pathway of success for that country, and they've created a lot of wealth as well as a great quality of life for its citizens, and I've enjoyed the time that I've been there.