Phil Mickelson has admitted that he 'enjoys the challenge' of playing at the British Open.

The American's best finish in the tournament was a tie for second place in 2011, and the left-hander has insisted that he has never performed to his full capabilities in Great Britain.

The 43-year-old told reporters: "I have really not played my best golf in this event, but it's time to play now. Shoot the scores and hit the shots that I've spent 20 years trying to work on.

"I think that over the last eight or nine years, I've started to play better golf. But it's still a challenge for me.

"I'm always cautiously optimistic. The British Open is one of my favourite events because it's one of the most challenging events for me."

Mickelson finished as runner-up to Justin Rose in last month's US Open.