BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Michigan (AFP) — Three-time major winner Phil Mickelson's season has reached a crossroads, but he could easily turn a solid 2008 into a superb one with a victory at the 90th PGA Championship.
"This is a big week, because right now my season with just a couple wins is just okay," Mickelson said. "But if I were able to come through on Sunday and win the last major it could turn it into something special."
The lefthanded American already has two wins in 2008 (Northern Trust Open and the Crowne Plaza Invitational) and has earned 4.34 million dollars in 16 tournaments so far. He is third on the money list and should easily top the five million dollar mark by the end of the year.
Those numbers would excite most players on the Tour but Mickelson is always looking for ways to improve his game.
"I feel great with my ball striking," said the 2005 PGA Championship winner Mickelson. "I feel great off the tee. And the area that I'm spending most of my time working on is my short game.
"I feel like around these greens, putting is going to be a big part of it and so will chipping.
"I'm trying to spend most of my time working on my short game."
Ranked No 2 in the world, Mickelson has not been able to break through in recent majors. He has finished in the top 15 at a major just once since his meltdown at the 2006 US Open at Winged Foot.
Mickelson also stumbled down the stretch last week at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational finishing tied for fourth after making bogey on three of his final four holes. He ended up two shots back of winner Vijay Singh.
Despite his late stumble Mickelson isn't beating himself up over a lost opportunity.
"I felt like I hit the ball well all day," Mickelson said of his final round. "It was just three or four holes there in the end. I hit good shots they just didn't go in."
Mickelson, who has seven top 10 finishes in 15 PGA Championships, says his putting has led to his recent struggles in the majors.
"When I look back on last year, the area I've been the most deficient in is putting. So I've tried to target that and spend a lot of time getting that sharp."
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