KEY STATISTIC: Americans have won the last six times the British Open was at Royal Troon.
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Had Mickelson birdied 18, he would finish the round with a 9-under 62, the first time in golf history that anyone shot a 62 at a major.
Former champion Phil Mickelson equalled the lowest score in major championship history after agonisingly lipping out with a putt to claim the outright record in the Open Championship at Royal Troon.
Instead, he endured another dose of heartache. “But I mean, anytime you can shoot 4 under the first round of a major, I would say it’s pleasing more so than surprising”. Mickelson put his hand to his forehead and held a pose of disbelief. Mickelson called in caddie Jim “Bones” Mackay for the read from his lifelong sidekick.
“I’ve heard that stat as well, but honestly with how competition is these days, it doesn’t really matter where you’re from or anything like that”, Reed said. A lone birdie on 15 was the only bright spot on his back nine.
It was the 28th round of 63 in the majors Greg Norman and Vijay Singh have done it twice and the ninth at the British Open.
Prior to today, 25 players had shot 63 in a major and seven had done so in this tournament.
“That putt on 18 was an opportunity to do something historical”, he said.
“I had this right in the centre of the hole with a foot to go and it was flawless speed”. With a foot to go I thought it was in, I am not sure how it missed. “If there wasn’t a curse, that ball would’ve went in and I would’ve had that 62”.
What helped ease the pain is that it was only Thursday.
“I tried to qualify for the U.S. Open and wasn’t very happy about missing by a shot because I had a chance at Oakmont in ’07”, Stricker told Golf Digest after a practice round earlier this week. Mickelson still considers it his best round. And that round gave him a three-shot lead after 18 holes.
“I felt like it was kind of easy”, Mickelson said on Golf Channel after his round. “I just kept the ball in play, hit good shots and made good putts”. At his age, especially, the odds are against Mickelson ever coming that close again. – Phil Mickelson during a television interview that showed his birdies.
Heswal, a parkland course, hosted the Junior British Open in 2006.
“Hopefully I can go out tomorrow and play similar to the way I did today and get myself right into contention for another Claret Jug”.
That near-miss was the beginning of Day’s extraordinary run of the past 12 months and drove him to become the world’s best player.
Mickelson, in an afternoon group that included Ernie Els and Lee Westwood, capitalized on great weather. The putt looked flawless – until it wasn’t.
At the Masters, his ball hit into the steeply banked right side of the green, rolled down the hill, bounced off J.B. Holmes’ ball and into the hole.
And now, he faces a return to reality. That’s Royal Troon for you. Lefty was ready to embrace whatever came his way. Changing conditions, we’ll have different winds.
“The main thing is to stay with my game plan because the odds of me going out and eagling three… are rare”.
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Eight Americans were among the top 11 on the leaderboard at Royal Troon, where they have won the Open the last six times.
