Phil Mickelson is looking to finish his 2012 season on a positive note at this week’s Barclays Singapore Open.
The left-handed American has had mixed fortunes this year, with victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am followed by a slump in form - before a complete overhaul of the 42 year old’s game brought a turnaround in fortunes.
After finishing fourth, second and 15th in the last three FedEx Cup events, Mickelson formed a formidable partnership with Keegan Bradley at The Ryder Cup and played some stunning golf in one of the great singles clashes with Justin Rose - the Englishman holing three lengthy putts over the closing holes to snatch a one up victory.
Mickelson looked to have timed a late run at last week’s HSBC Champions to perfection, but Ian Poulter held on to condemn the four-time Major Champion to second place.
Asked about his rollercoaster year, Mickelson said: “The high point is obviously winning the Pebble.
“This is my last tournament of the year, I'll have some things going on in the off-season, but my next tournament will most likely be in Palm Springs.
“I've had really tough three or four months when I played some of my worst golf in my career - it's turning out to be one of the best things that has happened for me because it forced me to analyse my game and dissect it and put each part back.
“I had to start with my iron and get that to where I was hitting the ball with the right distance, trajectory and spin rate. And then I had to move on to my chipping, putting, fairway woods and to my driver. I've had to piece my game back and now since the PGA, I've played better golf every single week.
“I've played some of my best golf at The Ryder Cup, I played very well at the HSBC Champions, and I'm excited about next year. That three or four months downtime has forced me to piece my game back to where I think I'm better now that I think it has been in a long time.”
While Europeans have spent the last month celebrating the Miracle of Medinah, it is worth sparing a thought for Mickelson and his teammates; who played out of their skins in an absorbing contest.
“It was one of the lowest points of my career,” admitted the World Number 13. “We thought we had it won. I love competing in The Ryder Cup as it is one of the most emotional and proud experiences. This year was the hardest loss in my career at The Ryder Cup.”
Mickelson expects a tough examination at Sentosa Golf Club again this week, but he does not expect the humidity to work against him.
“It is one of the more difficult courses in Serapong,” he added. “There are more difficult holes on this course than a lot of courses we play.
“I've been playing here for the past six years now and I plan to continue to play and having a presence in some of the top Asian tournaments.
“As for as the humidity, I like the warmth. I feel like it gets your muscles looser to swing the club easier. When it is hot, the ball does not have the same resistance in the air, so it flies a lot straighter and easily a lot longer. I've learned to stay in the shade and drink a little extra water to hydrate, so it shouldn't be a factor.”
