Phil Mickelson has used two drivers to win a Masters and zero drivers to lose a U.S. Open. This year he'll opt for one driver with a grip-it-and-rip-it strategy.

Before winning the WGC-CA Championship, Phil Mickelson played a practice round at Augusta National Golf Club. In 2001, 2002 and 2008, Mickelson and Tiger Woods were the top two ranked players in the Official World Golf Ranking. As of March 30, they also held the top two spots. (Chris Thelen/Staff)

"I'm telling you, I've never hit the ball this long or straight," Mickelson said as he overpowered Doral's Blue Monster last month. "I'm driving it better than I ever have."

It was a remarkable transformation from the Mickelson who seemed a little lost off the tee at the beginning of 2009. The inconsistency with his driver was about to doom his bid to repeat as winner at Riviera -- he had blown a big lead -- until he had a revelation on the 15th hole.

"After hitting some poor drives, I said, 'Screw it, let's go; let's hit it,' " Mickelson said of a couple of bombed drives on the 15th and 17th holes that rallied him to win in Los Angeles.

"I teed it up high and ripped at it, and I hit the longest, straightest drives I've hit, and that's what I've been doing. I've just been following that motto, and it's been great."

He took that mentality to Augusta National Golf Club for a practice round before the WGC-CA Championship at Doral. With high, straight and long drives he was piling up birdies and confidence. He declared it "perfect for Augusta."

It looked perfect for Doral as well. His confidence has created optical illusions where all the fairways seem wider.

"It's a good feeling to look down the fairway and feel as though there's a big fairway to hit," he said.

Mickelson took it easy in the offseason, and it showed when he struggled on some of the West Coast courses where he typically makes a lot of hay in the early season. But after two seasons of working with swing coach Butch Harmon, the results are starting to look good.

"He is having fun, and for the first time in a long time he has a lot of confidence in what he's doing," Harmon said. "He's getting better and better, and everything we're doing right now is gearing up for Augusta. We're pretty much right on the course we want to be on."

Beyond the driver, it is Mickelson's short game that has elevated his performance to where it was in 2005-06, when he won consecutive majors at the PGA and Masters.

Mickelson released an instructional video on his secrets of the short game this month. The process forced him to focus more on his short game to simplify it for a wider audience. It was as if he were putting on a promotional demo four weeks ago at Doral. Chipping in three times and negotiating the Blue Monster with only 20 putts in the first round, he lived up to his boast on the eve of the tournament that his short game was the "best it's ever been right now."

"From 50 yards in, my short game has never been this good, and I've never driven the ball this long and this straight without the fear of a big miss," he said. "My iron play is better than it has been in quite some time."

With all of those elements in place, Mickelson expects to make a run for a third green jacket. He comes to the Masters with renewed vigor that has been missing at majors since he blew a win at the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot with a double bogey on the 72nd hole.

After winning without his A-game at Riviera and backing it up with a wire-to-wire victory at Doral, Mickelson seems poised to contend for his fourth major.

"In the two years we've been together I've never seen his confidence this high and seen him this happy with the way he's playing," Harmon said.

Mickelson certainly seems giddier than ever, and Masters Week couldn't come soon enough to suit him.

"I can't be any more excited," he said. "As well as I'm driving it, to be hitting it as high and as far as I'm hitting it, with my short game being as good as it's ever been, I can't wait for Augusta to get here. ... I can feel my game really coming around for the Masters."

Reach Scott Michaux at (706) 823-3219 or scott.michaux@augustachronicle.com.