Sepp Blatter has told Sky Sports News HQ he would have gone to Tasmania if he was guilty of corruption at FIFA. The former FIFA president is in the process of fighting a six-year ban from football over a 2011 payment to UEFA counterpart Michel Platini.Both men have failed to overturn their appeals at FIFA and are now in the process of appealing to the sports highest judicial body, the Court of Arbitration for Sport. And in the meantime Blatter says he will talk to the FBI, Swiss authorities or anyone else investigating corruption allegations which have snowballed since the arrests of several FIFA officials last May on the eve of the organisations annual conference.Asked if the FBI had been in touch he told SSNHQ: Direct contact? No, but they have asked the Swiss authorities to make some questions.I havent been questioned, neither by one nor the other organisation so far. I am willing to co-operate with all investigators in the US or here. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter tells Sky Sports News HQ he did not pay Michel Platini to stop the Frenchman standing against him Asked whether he was guilty of any wrongdoing he said: I would not be as relaxed as I am.If I had in my conscience, really Sepp, you were a nasty man then I would have stopped it immediately. I would have taken my luggage and I would have gone, lets say, to Tasmania.There was a flat denial when Blatter was asked whether the £1.3m payment to Platini was a bribe to stop his long-time ally running in FIFAs presidential election.The Swiss also denied conspiring with disgraced FIFA vice-president Jack Warner to make money from the sale of television rights and said his father would rise up from the grave if he abandoned the fight to clear his name.I fight for me and my personal reputation and Im also defending FIFA in these different cases in different courts, he said.They have asked me in some cases for testimony and in other cases for information, and Ill do it because they think I can explain a little bit what happened in FIFA. Also See: World Cup section Features Latest video Get Sky Sports Cheap Basketball College Jerseys . 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HUMBLE, Texas -- Phil Mickelson did more than prove to just himself that hes ready for next weeks Masters on Thursday. The five-time major winner showed to everyone that hes fully recovered from last weeks muscle pull and likely to be a factor in this weeks Houston Open as well. Without so much as a practice round this week at the 7,441-yard Golf Club of Houston, Mickelson opened with a 4-under par 68 and was among the leaders following Thursdays opening round. The bogey-free performance was a far cry from last week when Mickelson was forced to withdraw during the third round in San Antonio after pulling a muscle in his right side "Im surprised because I was worried about the Masters," Mickelson said. "I was certainly worried about Houston, but it healed a lot quicker. I felt great today; didnt feel any pain or discomfort and didnt even think about it." Mickelson is three shots back of first-round co-leaders Bill Haas and Charley Hoffman, both who finished at 7 under. Hass had five birdies on his back nine, while Hoffman needed just 27 putts to earn a share of the lead. Keegan Bradley and Matt Kuchar lead a group of five golfers at 6 under. J.B. Holmes, Erik Compton and Jim Renner are also at 6 under, with 10 golfers are at 5 under. Of the 144 players in the field, 113 finished at even par or under on an overcast and occasionally misty day. "The greens are absolutely perfect," Haas said. "... I think the scores are reflective on that. They were a little slower, but part of that, too, is the weather. It was like a little dewy mist out there all day, which played a part in the speed of the greens." Mickelson and Bradley were part of a threesome with Webb Simpson, who also finished 4 under. All three players in the group navigated the course without a bogey in their morning rounds. Former world No. 1 Rory McIlroy, playing in the afternoon and one of the five top-10 players in the world in the tournament, finished withh a 2-under 70.dddddddddddd While Haas and Hoffman shared the lead after Thursdays play, it was Mickelson -- who was forced to withdraw during last weeks third round in San Antonio after pulling a muscle in his right side -- who was the centre of attention leading into next week at Augusta National. Mickelson has won the Masters three times, the latest coming in 2010, but his status was in doubt following last weeks injury. The left-hander, however, underwent treatment in the days following his departure from San Antonio -- along with fitting in two days of light practice at Augusta National -- and appeared in top ball-striking form on Thursday. "One of the things I really worked on hard today was staying focused on each shot," Mickelson said. "... I needed to play here this week and really challenge myself in that regard to give myself the best chance for next week." Opening on the back nine at the former Redstone Golf Club, which was renamed the Gold Club of Houston following an ownership change, Mickelson was bogey free despite needing 31 putts. He made the turn at 2 under following a 16-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th, and he birdied both of the par 5s on his back nine to put himself squarely in contention. Mickelson won the Houston Open in 2011, and the courses Masters-like setup -- including slick greens and tight rough -- is a key reason hes returned every year since. "He was striking it, he was hitting it long and great," Bradley said of Mickelson. "... He seems like it was feeling a lot better today than it was in San Antonio." Kuchar, who finished tied for fourth at last weeks Texas Open, had three straight birdies in the middle of his round on Thursday -- highlighted by a 47-foot birdie putt on the 445-yard par-4 second hole. McIlroy, one of five of the top 10 players in the world in the field, was as low as 3 under before a pair of bogeys on the back nine. World No. 10 Dustin Johnson withdrew following an opening 8-over par 80. ' ' '