Daily Times (Primos, PA)

Lefty can’t get it right in opening round of PGA

- By Samantha Pell

SPRINGFIEL­D, N.J. » Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championsh­ip the last time it was at Baltusrol in 2005. He played some of his best golf ever only 11 days ago at the British Open . And on Thursday, the New York-area crowd had his back even before he teed off.

The momentum he had to start the PGA Championsh­ip was there. Until it wasn’t. When Mickelson stepped onto the 10th tee for his opening shot Thursday, the cheers and shouts went on for so long that the two other players with him — defending champion Jason Day and two-time PGA champion Rory McIlroy — didn’t seem to exist.

But Mickelson’s first shot of the day sailed well left into the gallery. He hit into a bunker, blasted out to about 5 feet and missed the putt. It was the first of four bogeys in his opening 11 holes. He wasn’t driving very well. He wasn’t putting much better. After the frustratin­g start, the 46-year-old rallied for a 1-over 71 with three birdies over his last seven holes. He was six strokes behind leader Jimmy Walker.

“It’s not the start I wanted,” Mickelson said. “It’s not indicative of how I’m playing. But I’m back to where tomorrow, if I play the way I’ve been playing, I should be OK.”

Mickelson, in a bright pink shirt, turned it around with a birdie on the tough 503-yard third hole.

“That was a big birdie,” Mickelson said. “I hit two really good shots. If I miss that fairway, I probably have to lay up and fight for par again. Instead I hit a really good drive, a good 8-iron to 15, 18 feet behind the hole and made it. That kind of got things going.”

Mickelson is coming off one of the best tournament­s he’s ever played — a 63 in the first round, a 65 in the final round at Royal Troon — and still lost by three to Henrik Stenson, who had the lowest score in major championsh­ip history.

Mickelson finished second for the 11th time in his career in a major.

“Unfortunat­ely, I didn’t get off to a great start (at Baltusrol), like I did at the British,” Mickelson said. “It’s always easier. You shoot a good low number the first day, you’ve got momentum.”

Mickelson had three bogeys starting in the featured morning group along with McIlroy and Day. He still was only 2 over going to the 17th and 18th, both par 5s, a chance for him to get back to even par. Instead, he kept going the wrong direction.

He missed his drive so far right on the 17th that it landed just off the 15th tee box. Instead of having the gallery around the 15th tee and the gallery lining the 17th fairway move out of the way, he hit a wedge over them into deep rough. His third shot was over the green and he had to make a 7-foot putt just for par.

 ?? MIKE GROLL — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Phil Mickelson hits from the rough on the 16th hole during the first round of the PGA Championsh­ip golf tournament at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfiel­d, N.J., Thursday.
MIKE GROLL — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Phil Mickelson hits from the rough on the 16th hole during the first round of the PGA Championsh­ip golf tournament at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfiel­d, N.J., Thursday.

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