Mickelson out to make history

Phil Mickelson is confident he can use his experience to claim a fourth green jacket and surpass Jack Nicklaus as the oldest Masters champion in history.

Nicklaus was 46 years, two months and 23 days old when he won his 18th and final major title at Augusta in 1986, a closing 65 giving him a record sixth Masters victory.

Mickelson, who will celebrate his 47th birthday in June, has not won a tournament since the 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield, but the lefthander believes his age will not be a barrier to success this week.

“I think the last year and a half I’ve worked really hard to get my game back to the level that I expect and the level that I’ve strived for,” Mickelson said.

“If I can play anywhere close to the way I played at the British Open last year and the Ryder Cup, I should be able to give myself a good opportunity for Sunday.”

Mickelson, who was only denied a second Open title at Troon by a recordbreaking performance from Henrik Stenson, added: “What I like most about this week is that Thursday, Friday, the weather is going to come in and that’s going to magnify the misses for a lot of players, which means that you need to miss it in the correct spots.

“Even though you might miss it big, if you’re in the right spot you can take advantage of your short game and salvage a lot of pars and I hope to rely on that knowledge and skill to keep myself in it heading into the weekend, where players less experienced with the golf course will possibly miss it in the wrong spots and shoot themselves out.”

Mickelson had surgery in December to repair a recurrence of the sports hernia for which he was originally treated in October, eventually returning to action in the third week of January.

His best result of the season in a stroke play event is a tie for seventh in the WGC-Mexico Championship, although he also reached the quarter-finals of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin.

Meanwhile former world No 1 Jason Day is prepared for an emotional overload if he can win a second major title in the Masters.

Day’s participation was in doubt when he withdrew from the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play a fortnight ago in order to be with his mother before she underwent surgery in her battle against lung cancer.

But with the operation deemed a success, the 29-year-old Australian admits he feels “a lot lighter” as he looks to add to the US PGA title he won in 2015.

Day broke down in tears on the 18th green following his victory at Whistling Straits and predicted an even more intense reaction if he can follow in the footsteps of compatriot Adam Scott and claim a green jacket.

“I think that you can just multiply that by a hundred I think,” Day said.

“I was very emotional when I won my first major, because I knew how hard it was, and under the circumstances of beating Jordan (Spieth) who was the guy at the time.

“Two things in my life, Tiger Woods and Augusta National, the Masters, is why I play golf. And this is my favourite week of the year. It always is.

“To be able to do it this week would be great.”