Pros prepare for Phoenix Open

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Phil Mickelson was a fraction of an inch away from shooting 59 in his 2013 Waste Management Phoenix Open victory. Playing partners Justin Thomas and Adam Hadwin are the latest members of the 59 club, and Thomas was plotting some good-natured ribbing at Lefty’s expense.

Four years ago, closing on the par-4 ninth, Mickelson’s 25-foot birdie try for 59 caught the right edge of the cup, curled 180 degrees to the other side of the hole and stayed out.

“That would have been a special moment,” Mickelson said. “Just like the putt on the final hole at the British Open last year, to shoot the lowest round in any major would have meant something. You don’t get those opportunities very often. Both of them, I’m still in disbelief they didn’t go in.”

Thomas, 23, is coming off a two-week break after sweeping the two events in Hawaii. He has won three of his last five PGA Tour starts, also successfully defending his title in Malaysia in October, but lost some of his edge during the layoff.

Thomas opened the Sony Open with a 59 and was 49 under in two weeks in Hawaii.He’s trying to become the first player to win three consecutive PGA Tour events since Rory McIlroy in 2014.

“I like the golf course,” Thomas said. “It’s totally different than every other tournament we play in terms of atmosphere and crowds.”

Mickelson, 46, is playing the third of five straight weeks in his return from two sports hernia surgeries. He tied for 21st two weeks ago in La Quinta and tied for 14th last week at Torrey Pines.

The former Arizona State player also won at TPC Phil Mickelson plays his tee shot on the ninth hole during the first round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Scottsdale in 1996 and 2005. He won the last of his 42 PGA Tour titles in the 2013 British Open.

Fellow former Arizona State star Jon Rahm won Sunday at Torrey Pines for his first PGA Tour title.

Jordan Spieth also is returning from a two-week break after tying for third at Kapalua and tying for third at Waialae. He tied for seventh in 2015 in his only other appearance in the tournament.

“These greens are very pure,” Spieth said. “If you’re putting well, you can really putt well out here.”

Hideki Matsuyama won last year, beating Rickie Fowler on the fourth hole of a playoff. The Japanese star has finished at 14-under 270 in each of three starts in the event.

Matsuyama won four times worldwide late last year, taking the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in China, two events in Japan and Tiger Woods’ unofficial Hero World Challenge in December.