Thursday 7 April 2016 13:01, UK
Victory for Phil Mickelson this Sunday would make him the second oldest winner of The Masters after Jack Nicklaus.
The Golden Bear was 46 and two months when he triumphed for a sixth time in 1986, while three-time champion Mickelson turns 46 in June.
However, 'Leftie' says he still feels young and with three top-five finishes in the bag already this year will fancy his chances at Augusta where he tied-for-second 12 months ago.
Mickelson said: "I don't feel old at all. I feel great. I guess maybe when you hang around these young guys as much as I have been, you just feel young.
"I was looking at some of the highlights 10 years ago when I played in one, and I just thought, gosh, I wish I had known then what I know now about nutrition and about all aspects.
"I think I could have saved myself from grief during the last 10 years. But now I feel like I'm in some of the best shape I've ever been in. I'm driving the ball better than I have in well over a decade."
And he has advice for many of the younger professionals on Tour with regards to longevity: "You can play golf for a lifetime and injury‑free if you swing the club like Bobby Jones did. It's a swinging motion rather than a violent movement.
"A lot of the young guys continue to get hurt as they create this violent connected movement, and I don't believe that's the proper way to swing a golf club.
"And the better I play and the more successful I am at an older age, that message will get through and hopefully kids will start to play golf and swing the club with less of a violent body movement and be able to play golf for a lifetime."
Another American feeling upbeat about his game right now is Rickie Fowler who is looking to take that next giant step and win a maiden major title.
The 27-year-old who won the Players Championship in 2015 said: "Last year was definitely a step in the right direction for me, after good finishes in 2014 in the majors.
"Obviously contending in majors in 2014 (four top-five finishes) has helped. Without having those final days in the majors, I wouldn't have had the success I did last year.
I'm driving the ball better than I have in well over a decade.
"My game is better than it was at the start of the year. I didn't feel like I had my best to start the year but I was able to minimise my mistakes and get the most out of it."
However, two-time Augusta National champion Bubba Watson is not feeling quite so strong having been laid low by a sinus infection.
The 2012 and 2014 winner, who was unable to practice on Monday, said: "In roughly a 30-something-hour period, I was two hours off my bed. For me to get to this point, I'm already ahead of the game.
"This is always the best week on Tour for us. This place energises you quite nicely and I'd say I'm at 80 per-cent right now."
Recently, the 37-year-old admitted in an interview that he had many problems away from the golf course: "I have a lot of mental issues.
"I'm just so fearful of things which I shouldn't be: Scared of heights, scared of buildings falling on me, scared of the dark, scared of crowds. Those are my biggest issues.
"I don't want anybody to know my deepest, darkest secrets. But I'm not going to hide anything. My dad told me to always tell the truth. I've got nothing to hide from anybody."
