Mickelson excited to leave 'terrible' form behind him

Apr 7, 2015; Augusta, GA, USA; Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson speaks with the media during a press conference on a practice round day for The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - Phil Mickelson acknowledges that his game has been “terrible” the past 18 months, but a recent improvement and a return to his favourite tournament have filled him with hope heading into the Masters starting on Thursday.

Mickelson says he is driving the ball better than in decades, if not his entire career, and his moribund short game showed signs of life the past two weeks as he prepared for the first major of the year.