MR TONDERFUL

PHIL MICKELSON’S 100th round at the Masters wasn’t his most spectacular – but the Mr Tonderful of Augusta National is still in the hunt.

The three-time champion shot a dogged one-over par 73. And the 48-year-old, four under par at halfway, remains in the frame heading into the weekend as he attempts to become the oldest Major champion.

Golf scientist Bryson Dechambeau got his calculations badly wrong as the first round co-leader unravelled yesterday.

A rattled Dechambeau shot a 75 to fall off the leaderboard after going into reverse on the back nine.

The 24-year-old doublebogeyed the tenth after chipping over the green and then missed a tiddler on the 16th for bogey.

Brooks Koepka, who shared the overnight lead with Dechambeau, also had double trouble – at the second hole – but bounced back to log a 71 for a share of the clubhouse lead at seven under as the American threat was maintained.

World No.2

Dustin Johnson

(left) went into

Rae’s Creek at the par-five 13th but still produced a birdie after chipping in from the drop zone to pick up two more shots and move to six under.

Matt Kuchar is alongside Mickelson after putting the controversy of his World Match Play spat with Sergio Garcia behind him to move into contention at four under with a 69. At the Match Play Kuchar showed a snarl beneath the smile in calling in a referee to point out he had not conceded a tiddler that Garcia angrily swatted past the hole during their semi-final clash a fortnight ago in Austin, Texas.

The American went on to win the match but attracted plenty of criticism, with Tommy Fleetwood’s caddie Ian Finnis claiming Kuchar had shown “no class.”

“I feel good about the way I’ve been playing this year,” said an unrepentant Kuchar. Also on four under is 33-year-old journeyman Patton Kizzire from Alabama. The 6ft 3in Kizzire fired a second successive 70 to head into the weekend four under in

Masters.

“These past two weeks I’ve been at home visualising all the shots, trying to be as consistent as I can be in my practice because what I’ve lacked in my career is consistency,” said Kizzire.

Injured golfer Jason Day (left) climbed up the leaderboard yesterday despite aggravating his back problem lifting his daughter on the practice putting green just before teeing off in his first round.

The Australian, runner-up here in 2011, bogeyed the first hole and then needed on-course treatment but shot a stunning five-underpar 65 to share the early lead

Day had to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational last month after six holes and an MRI revealed a disc tear. just his second