Mickelson says game ready to complete grand slam

[June 15, 2015]  (Reuters) -  Phil Mickelson, after a stellar final round at the FedEx St. Jude Classic on Sunday, sounded excited about his chances of completing the career grand slam at the United States Open next week.

Mickelson, who has won three Masters, a PGA Championship and a British Open, rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt on the closing hole for a five-under 65 to finish equal third at the Memphis event.

Mickelson, who turns 45 on Tuesday, made eight birdies, including three on his final five holes.

“That was fun day,” he told CBS after his round. “I still feel I left three or four shots out there.”

Mickelson likes to prepare for majors by playing the week before. His last win, the 2013 British Open at Muirfield, came after he won the Scottish Open in the preceding week.

He will spend Monday at home in San Diego, and plans to arrive at the Open in time for practice rounds at Chambers Bay on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The six-time U.S. Open runner-up visited Chambers Bay, near Seattle, on May 29.

“I really like the golf course,” he said on Sunday. “I think what (U.S. Golf Association executive director) Mike Davis said a few weeks ago is really true, in that if you’re going to be ready for this tournament, it takes a lot more time to learn this golf course than just a couple of days.

“If you’re having to use Monday to Wednesday to do that, you’re not putting effort into your own game.

“So I’m pleased that I’ve put together a game plan in how I’m going to play each hole and how to get to certain pins.”

Mickelson remarked that Chambers Bay resembles links courses you would find in Scotland and Ireland.

“It’s a special course in that there are a lot of different shots to play to a lot of different pins,” he said.

“If you play the highest percentage shot it’s not a hard golf course. But if you don’t know what [the right] shot is, there is a lot of penalty there.”

(Reporting by Tim Wharnsby. Editing by Andrew Both)

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