Phil On Augusta's Greens: "Nothing scary like they used to be."

Very interesting stuff from Phil Mickelson in response to yours truly asking about the condition of Augusta National, the firmness of the course, the shift from Wednesday to Thursday, and how Augusta National isn't has scary as it used to be.

I think it's (A) a statement about how fast regular tour stop greens have been getting, and (B) a product of the recent attempts to reintroduce drama and scoring.

Anyway, Phil, take it away...

Q.  You mentioned that the course is closer to tournament conditions; do you think we'll see a little less of that kind of flip of the switch from Wednesday to Thursday?  And also, the fairways look like they are a little bit thicker, lusher; do you think that's going to have an impact on how things play out?

PHIL MICKELSON:  So the grass is in incredible shape.  It's probably ‑‑ I mean, every year we come out and talk about how pristine Augusta is, but the reason I believe this is the best I've ever seen it is the areas that over the years have historically given problems or been thin, like the fairway shot on 13, even around the green on 12, where you don't get as much sun exposure, these are perfect.  The areas that have historically had problems are not having a problem this year.  They are perfect.

But as far as that switch you talk about going from Wednesday or Thursday, there has not been a switch in five years.  We make bigger divots on these greens than we make on the regular PGA TOUR.  These greens are softer than what we play week‑in and week‑out.  They are slightly faster, but nothing scary like they used to be.  They are more undulated but they are maybe a foot faster than what we play on the TOUR.  And quite honestly, they have been softer the last five years than anything we play on TOUR other than Pebble or something like that.

Fighting words! Does a certain three-time champion want the greens a little firmer, perhaps?

So when we used to have to know the course and know how the ball was going to be running and feeding, the ball doesn't run.  We are hitting 6‑irons that are stopping within a foot.  It's historically, like I say, only been the last five years, there's been no switch on Thursday and the greens have been soft.  You can fire at a lot of these pins without any fear.  I mean, I'm backing it up on some of those holes that I've never backed it up on.

So that fear factor has not been there, and I don't anticipate them going back to the way we expect.  I think it's going to stay kind of soft.