Phil Mickelson looks up after playing from a bunker near the 3rd green Tuesday during practice for the British Open at Carnoustie, Scotland.

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland — This is the sort of tournament that Phil Mickelson used to practice for as a kid, hitting one strange shot after another in his backyard.

Lob shots. Low spinners. Anything to break up the monotony of striking the ball on a downsized layout.

"Just try to create shots in a small space" is how Mickelson describes it now. "It kind of carries over to the way I like to play when I get in a tournament."

So, why doesn't Lefty play better in the British Open?

This tournament would seem custom-made for a player with Mickelson's imagination. His is a huge repertoire of improbable shots, the necessary trait on a links course where the ball can be just as effective scooting close to the ground as it is soaring majestically through the air — especially when those stiff winds starting whipping in off the sea.

But Mickelson, with two Masters titles and one PGA Championship on his resume (not to mention all sorts of close calls in the majors), has never fared very well on this side of the Atlantic.

He did have a third-place showing at Royal Troon in 2004, missing by a mere stroke the playoff won by Todd Hamilton over Ernie Els. But that's the only time Mickelson has come close to contending, failing to crack the top 10 in his other 13 Open appearances.

That stands in stark contrast to his record in the remaining three majors, where he is a perennial contender.

"It's taken time for me to appreciate and learn how to hit shots that are manageable in those conditions," Mickelson said. "As I start to be able to control my golf ball in those conditions, I start to enjoy it and hope for tough weather."

Mickelson grew up (and still lives) in sunny Southern California. He attended college in the desert at Arizona State. Hardly the sort of conditions that prepare one for the rain and wind and cold of Scotland, the birthplace of golf.

"The wind here might be the same speed as in Phoenix, but it's amazing how much more the ball gets affected by it," Mickelson said.

For that very reason, two-time defending champion Tiger Woods played sideways during a practice round Monday, hoping to diminish the 30 mph gusts.

When he got to the 18th hole, a 499-yard straight shot that can be reached with a big iron and a short iron on calm days, Woods hit a 2-iron about waist-high toward the adjacent 17th fairway.

Finding the short grass, he slapped another 2-iron back toward the 18th fairway, which is crossed twice by the Barry Burn. And, sticking with the same club, Woods struck another one toward the green, only to catch a bunker along the right side.

Nevertheless, he was pleased to even be considering such an unorthodox option.

"I love playing over here, because it allows you to be creative," Woods said. "Augusta used to be that way. The U.S. Open is obviously not. The PGA is kind of similar to a U.S. Open setup. Over here, you can create shots. You get to use the ground as an ally."