Mickelson charges into lead at Travelers
Canada’s Hughes one shot off top with 12-under at halfway point
A week after his 50th birthday, Phil Mickelson proved Friday that he isn’t ready to leave the PGA Tour for the Champions circuit.
The five-time major champion fired a 7-under-par 63 to take a one-shot lead in the second round of the Travelers Championship at Cromwell, Conn.
Mickelson is at 13-under 127 at the midway point. Will Gordon, who shot an 8-under 62 on Friday at TPC River Highlands, is tied for second with first-round leader Mackenzie Hughes of Canada, both at 12-under.
Hughes, of Dundas, Ont., followed a career-best 60 on Thursday with a 68 on Friday.
Mickelson is playing his first event since reaching the milestone birthday on June 16. He missed the cut at the Charles Schwab Challenge two weeks ago when the PGA Tour returned from its threemonth, pandemic-prompted hiatus, then didn’t play last week in the RBC Heritage.
The past two days, he was paired with Bryson Dechambeau and Northern Ireland’s Rory Mcilroy.
“I made some strides in the sense that I didn’t try to go toe-to-toe with two of the longest guys in the game, Bryson and Rory,” said Mickelson, who is aiming to become the eighth player to win a PGA Tour event after turning 50. “I ended up hitting some 3-woods on some of those holes because it fit my game better, and fortunately I made a couple of birdies.
“I’m thinking about No. 7 as an example, where they hit driver and I hit 3-wood and (I) was still able to make birdie. Playing my game and the way the course set up for me was a challenge when you’re playing with guys that hit it like that, but it allowed me to play some good golf.”
Mickelson began slowly Friday, recording a bogey and three pars on his first four holes, before making eight birdies and six pars the rest of the way. He recorded three consecutive birdies on Nos. 13-15, highlighted by sinking a 33-foot putt on No. 14.
At the par-4 18th hole, Mickelson fired his 118-yard approach shot within three feet of the cup, then sank the birdie putt for the outright lead.
Gordon, a 23-year-old who is in the event due to a sponsor’s exemption, turned in the best round of his young career.
“Here we are, so keep it rolling,” Gordon said during a television interview.
Gordon, a Vanderbilt product, drained nine birdies and had one bogey while finishing his round at 12-under 128. He started on the back nine and shot 30 and followed up with a 32 on his final nine holes.
“Just tried to come into today with a really positive mindset and aggressive mindset, and I was able to do that and execute early,” Gordon said in a news conference. “Whenever I get that momentum early, I usually don’t let it go, so I was pretty proud of myself and how I hung in there early.”
Gordon birdied eight of his first 11 holes while soaring up the leaderboard. His final birdie came on his next-to-last hole at No. 8.
Mcilroy (68 on Friday), Australia’s Marc Leishman (65) and the U.S. trio of Brendan Steele (62), Xander Schauffele (68) and Brendon Todd (65) sit at 9-under 131, tied for fourth.
Dechambeau (67) is one of 11 players who share ninth place at 8-under. Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., is at 4-under after a 69.