Phil Mickelson moves on from British Open disappointment

SPRINGFIELD, N.J. — Phil Mickelson added a mixed bag of emotions to his luggage before flying across the pond following the British Open.

On the one hand, he was ecstatic that his play bordered on the brilliant on the windswept links of Royal Troon, his swing back on plane and his prospects soaring. On the other hand, he was broken with disappointment, for his 267 total was the best ever posted in the 145 editions of the Open except for the one he played two weeks ago as Henrik Stenson shot three strokes better in a dual for the ages.

“I don't look back on the final round with anything that I would have done different, other than maybe go over to Stenson's bag and bend his putter a little bit,” Mickelson said.

Joking aside, Mickelson insisted he isn’t carrying around damaging baggage this week as the 98th PGA Championship begins Thursday at Baltusrol Golf Club. For starters, one of his favorite pizzerias is nearby. For another, he won the 2005 PGA Championship here on the Lower Course. And for now, he’ll side with the positives. Disappointment, he said, has not turned into a demon.

“I think it's one of those things where I'll look back over time and my disappointment will probably increase, because I think it's the first time in my career that I have played to that level of golf and not had it be enough to win a tournament. That's a disappointing thing because I would have loved to have added another Claret Jug,” Mickelson said Tuesday after a practice round.

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“But I'm starting to play good golf again. I'm having a lot more fun on the course. I'm able to play the game a lot stress-free. I had two bogey-free rounds in a major. That's really good for me, OK. A lot of guys, I get that they have done it, but for me, that's pretty good. I'm starting to really enjoy playing and competing, because I'm playing back to the level that I expect to play at.”

In other words, the 46-year-old is feeling like a kid again. While he hasn’t won since the 2013 British Open at Muirfield, he’s had five other top-5s this year in addition to his runner-up finish in the Open, and is ranked No. 13 in the world. And his move to swing coach Andrew Getson has sparked him.

“I don't believe that there is a small window,” of opportunity left, Mickelson said. “I think there's a really big window of opportunity to add to my resumé, to continue to compete in big events, for the simple reason that the feel and sensitivity of hitting shots, the ability to play golf courses a certain way, to visualize, to make birdies, to pull shots off, and that has not diminished.

“I just haven't been on plane for a couple years, and all of those sensitivities go away when your golf swing is not on plane. And now that it's back on plane, I think there's a really big window of opportunity to have some success. I'm having more fun playing because of it.”

Mickelson is in form. He loves the course. And Scotland is behind him.

“What I want to do is just play to that level that I played at the British Open. I have to try to believe that it will be enough this time, if I'm able to duplicate that performance,” Mickelson said. “So that's kind of the goal and the game plan to not try to force the issue, but to just go play and trust that I'm hitting a lot of good shots and trust that my putter has been good and that I'll make some putts and just try to go shoot a number and not try to worry about it. But that's easier said than done.”