Mickelson in second- to- last place: “I’m so sick of this”

Phil Mickelson chose driver again on the 18th at Winged Foot.

He blocked it to the left again. Made bogey instead of double bogey this time.

But instead of walking off in second place, the way he did in 2006, he headed to the clubhouse Thursday in 142nd, tied for second- to- last at the U. S. Open.

Back at the scene of his most crushing defeat, Mickelson found no reason to enjoy this beast of a course any more than when he left it 14 years ago.

“I drove it poorly, and I putted poorly,” he said in offering a succinct summary of an awful day.

He found a grand total of two fairways over a 5- hour slog through the thick grass, sand and greens that he couldn’t figure out. He three- putted twice over the final four holes — including once from inside of 9 feet — and finished at 9over 79, About the only good news to come from it is that there’s no way he’ll have a chance to give away another U. S. Open, the way he did the last time at Winged Foot.

“I’m 9 over,” Mickelson said in discussing his plans for Friday. “I’ll play as hard as I can and enjoy the round.” There was nothing fun about Day 1. By the time he reached the ninth tee box, he had not hit a fairway, and an NBC graphic cheekily pointed out that he had hit 14,477 tee shots since hitting his last fairway at Winged Foot — in 2006, also on the ninth hole.

He broke the drought there, then promptly headed to the fairway, grabbed a 5- wood and blocked it so far left, it landed on the first tee box.

“I’m so sick of this,” he said as he bent over in disgust.