Streb sets Wells Fargo pace as Mickelson fades
Phil Mickelson faded early, and Rory McIlroy tailed off late. Robert Streb kept on making birdies.
Streb shot 7-under-par 65 Thursday to take a one-shot lead over Patrick Reed and Kevin Chappell after the first round of the Wells Fargo Championship.
McIlroy appeared on the verge of a late run before making a double bogey on the difficult par-3 17th hole. The world’s top-ranked player appeared stunned when his tee shot hit the rock wall in front of the green, and his ball caromed high into the air and into the water. He finished with 70. “One big mistake,” he said. McIlroy had just made par on the 16th hole by hitting a 9-iron pin high from 166 yards. He went with an 8-iron from 178 yards on No. 17, but it wound up not being enough to carry the water when his ball got held up in the wind.
Despite the error, McIlroy said overall he was pleased with his round. “I did what I wanted to,” said McIlroy, who won the event in 2010 for his first PGA Tour title. “I took advantage of the par-5s and made birdie on a couple of par-4s.”
Mickelson had his troubles, too, after a fast start.
Lefty opened with three birdies but had a double bogey on the 18th hole when his tee shot wound up in the creek on the left side of the fairway. He shot 71, leaving him six shots back.
Mickelson long has expressed his affinity for Quail Hollow, saying it suits his game perfectly. Yet he is winless in 11 tries, although he has come close with five topfive finishes.
He got things off to a rousing start, sinking birdie putts from 6, 9 and 12 feet to start the back nine, drawing roars from the crowd. But the putts wouldn’t fall for Mickelson after his initial burst.
“I turned a 66 into a 71 today,” Mickelson said.
Mickelson, who missed the cut last week in The Players Championship, insists his game “isn’t that far off. Fortunately, I didn’t shoot myself out of the tournament,” he said.
While Mickelson faded after his strong start, Streb didn’t.
After tying for 30th in The Players, Streb set the early pace with two quick birdies on the back nine and played a bogey-free round.
His 65 was the second-best opening-round score of his brief PGA Tour career. He found his putting stroke last week at TPC Sawgrass, and it was there again at Quail Hollow.
“It’s the first time in a while I feel like I have my putter working,” Streb said.
Chappell turned in a strong finish with an eagle on the par-5 seventh and a birdie on the eighth to move into a tie with Reed for second place.