9 days after his improbable comeback at Muirfield, Mickelson still stunned he won British Open

AKRON, Ohio – Phil Mickelson still can't believe he won the British Open.

Every day he takes a peek at the iconic claret jug, just to make sure it's all real.

He had dreamt he won the U.S. Open a month earlier, only to discover — after a minute of contemplation — that he still had 18 holes left. Then he went out and lost.

Not at Muirfield. Nine days after his crazy, final-round sprint brought him his fifth major championship, he's still pinching himself.

Mickelson tees off Thursday in the opening round of the Bridgestone Invitational. He laid the groundwork for a sixth Grand Slam title by spending Monday at Oak Hill, site of next week's PGA.

No matter what happens there, he'll always have that claret jug.