Lefty can’t get it right in opening round of PGA
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 46year-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.” Jimmy Walker Emiliano Grillo Ross Fisher Martin Kaymer Harris English James Hahn Andy Sullivan Henrik Stenson K.J. Choi David Lingmerth Rickie Fowler Scott Hend Brooks Koepka Robert Streb Vaughn Taylor Jason Day Jhonattan Vegas John Senden Russell Henley Louis Oosthuizen Bradley Dredge Jon Curran Hideki Matsuyama Chris Wood Victor Dubuisson Justin Thomas Paul Casey Lee Westwood Jamie Donaldson Gregory Bourdy Colt Knost Rich Beem Steve Stricker Danny Lee Webb Simpson Jason Kokrak Brian Stuard Aaron Baddeley Branden Grace Soren Kjeldsen Adam Scott Bill Haas Yuta Ikeda Alexander Noren Andrew Johnston Thorbjorn Olesen Jordan Spieth Russell Knox Kiradech Aphibarnrat Justin Rose Patrick Reed William McGirt Kyle Reifers Daniel Summerhays Patton Kizzire Freddie Jacobson Jason Bohn Daniel Berger Tyrrell Hatton Kevin Kisner Zach Johnson Padraig Harrington Marcus Fraser Kevin Na Phil Mickelson Jamie Lovemark Hideto Tanihara Ryan Palmer Rob Labritz Jason Dufner Francesco Molinari Brendan Steele Sergio Garcia Bubba Watson Marc Leishman Thomas Pieters Danny Willett Ryan Moore Young-han Song Si Woo Kim Kristoffer Broberg Rafa Cabrera Bello Billy Hurley III Rikard Karlberg Roberto Castro Omar Uresti Greg Chalmers George Coetzee Nicolas Colsaerts Ryan Helminen Michael Block Harold Varner III Johan Kok Kevin Chappell Scott Piercy Rich Berberian, Jr. Matthew Fitzpatrick Billy Horschel Luke Donald Y.E. Yang