It’s been nine months since Phil Mickelson shone brightly on that hot Sunday afternoon last July at Muirfield.

In the absence of the injured Tiger Woods, Mickelson is the only ‘genuine’ Augusta competitor to have captured three different Major Championship titles.

In fact, Mickelson’s also just one green jacket away from equalling Woods and Arnold Palmer with four of the most sought after items of apparel in golf but still three shy of joining Jack Niclaus with six.

But with the new season’s first Major Championship just a day away and the five-time Major winner confessed he continues to glow in the rewards winning golf’s oldest major presented him.

Nine months after winning golf’s oldest major Phil Mickelson is still basking in his Muirfield glory.

“It’s already had an amazing impact for me because I feel different,” said Mickelson. 

“I feel like a more complete player because I won The Open.  I always felt like there might be a shortcoming in my game, even though I believed I could win it, I felt I could win it; winning that tournament.

“I feel in my own mind made me a more complete player to play links golf and play in the wind and play on the ground in a style of golf I never grew up playing; to be able to evolve over the 20‑plus years, it took me a little longer than I had hoped but I’m very appreciative to have won that tournament and be a part of that event, too, because that was going to be my biggest challenge.”

Mickelson is also confident he’s shaken off a niggling oblique muscle strain in his back that forced him out mid-way through the third round of the Valero Texas Open.

But then clear favourite Rory McIlroy dropped one of the best Masters bloopers in some time in brushing aside the chances of 1991 Masters champion, Ian Woosnam.

McIlroy was asked to estimate how many of the 97 players competing in the year’s first Major were capable of being fitted with an Augusta National member’s jacket.

The double Major winner remarked:  ’70.  I mean there’s a few past champions that play that might not be able to compete.  There might be a few first-timers or a few amateurs that won’t compete.”

McIlroy, who is making his sixth straight appearance in the Masters, was shown the opening two round draw sheet.

Sitting beside him dressed in his Augusta green jacket and acting as moderator was fellow Irishman John Carr.

McIlroy began reading down the list to pick out like champions and only got to the first name of the second match out when laughter erupted in boyishly righting off the 1991 Masters Welsh-born champion who won at just his fourth attempt.

“But looking down the list here there’s Stewart Cink, Tim Clark, Ian Woosnam, no; John Huh sorry, Woosie,” said McIlroy smiling.

“But I’m talking about the people that are playing regularly on the PGA Tour (laughing continues), sorry, Woosie, didn’t mean that.

“Seriously, you’ve got a lot of guys that can win, a lot of guys that have won PGA Tour events.  

“Okay, we’re playing at Augusta, but a lot of these guys, the thing that I like, because it’s the Masters and because it’s so big or hyped up or whatever you want to say, you ought to remember that you are still playing against the same guys you play with week-in, week-out.  So I’ve beaten them before.  They have beaten me before.”

And Sweden’s Henrick Stenson was intent on seeking out Sandy Lyle to remind him of the one shot that every golf addict clearly remembers from the Scot’s 1988 Master triumph.

“As a kid, the only clear memory I have, is when Sandy Lyle hit the 7-iron shot out of the bunker on 18 in ’88, and that’s my first Masters memory from televisioin,” said the Swede.

“I used to fall asleep many nights watching the Masters what with the soothing music and the flowers (smiling).

“When the coverage went into a commercial break over here, it’s like nodding off time, because it was in the middle of the night back home.

“And I’ve never told Sandy that, but if I see him, I will remind him.  I’m sure he’ll enjoy that.”

Stephen Gallacher was out Tuesday morning playing the back nine in the company of double Masters winner, Jose Maria Olazabal and also Miguel Angel Jimenez.