Phil Mickelson not worried about driving problems

Phil Mickelson insisted Tuesday that a frustrating Scottish Open experience last week had left him stronger rather than scarred as he prepares to take on Tiger Woods here this week.

Mickelson lost to Gregory Havret, a Frenchman ranked 320 in the world, in a play-off after bogeying the final hole at Loch Lomond, having held a three-shot lead at one stage on the back nine.

A string of wayward drives proved to be the left-hander's undoing and brought back memories of the 18th-hole tee-shot that cost him his chance of victory at the 2006 US Open at Winged Foot.

"It was certainly disappointing to finish the way I did (at Loch Lomond)," Mickelson said after a practice round ahead of the British Open here. "Especially making the mistakes I did coming down the stretch.

"The good thing for me was that it was important to get into contention because I hadn't been in contention in a while.

"I needed to feel what it feels like to be in the final group on Sunday with a chance to win. I think that betters my chances this week."

Mickelson, who has been working on his driving with Butch Harmon, a former coach to Tiger Woods, believes the way Carnoustie has been set up gives him a fabulous opportunity to make his superb touch around the greens count this week.

He acknowledges however that will count for nothing if he fails to put the ball in play consistently off the tee, and his work with Harmon has largely focused on developing a lower trajectory for his drives to ensure they are less vulnerable to being blown off track by the wind.

"I had a good conversation last night with Butch about a couple of things we wanted to do with clubs off the tee and how to take certain place out of play," Mickelson said.

"It (the driving) is still a work in progress. It is not going to be where I want it after just three months, but it is coming."

Despite that confession, Mickelson insisted he would not take the option of leaving his driver in the bag for most of his round -- a strategy Tiger Woods deployed to perfection on his way to victory at Hoylake last year.

"I didn't drive it the best on Sunday, but I hit 13 fairways on Saturday -- so I'm not overly concerned about it," Mickelson said.

With the rough not anything like as fearsome as it was when the Open was last played here eight years ago, the world number three has been encouraged by the amount of playable lies he has spotted around the greens.

"The course is giving players a chance to separate themselves from other players because of the quality of shots that are being required," he said.

"What I really like is how much room there is around the green to hit shots and chip shots -- you have a chance to let your short game make pars for you. That is my favourite thing about Carnoustie."

Mickelson highlighted a series of holes -- the 12th, 15th and 16th -- where huge bunkers short of the green dictate the kind of approach at which he excels.

"Those are holes where you have to carry the ball and still get it in soft," he explained. "Even with a crosswind or downwind, you want to bring the ball in high and soft, which is a lot like the shots we hit back in the States."

Mickelson has only once got himself into contention in a British Open -- at Troon in 2004, where he finished third. "It has taken time for me to appreciate and learn how to play shots that are manageable in these conditions," he acknowledged.

"But Troon in 2004 was a big point for me. I finally had a good performance to the point where I felt I could win and was inches away from doing it."