“I really enjoy the challenge that this weather and these elements provide”, Mickelson said. I know it looks awful, but it is what it is.
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“Hopefully I can do the same this weekend as I did past year”, Leishman told Reuters in an interview after finishing on one-over 143, leaving him 11 shots behind championship pacesetter Phil Mickelson of the U.S.
That’s the same Stenson who finished second to Mickelson at the 2013 Open at Muirfield.
Mickelson was one of eight players who have shot 63 in the opening round of a major, and he became only the third of them to follow that with another round under par.
“It’s still early in the tournament though. We’re only halfway done with the tournament so it’s too far off to start thinking like that, but certainly there is nothing more that I would love to do”. “So far, so good”, the 40-year-old said.
“It was one of the best rounds that I’ve played. It’s not easy out there”. The South African had a 12-over total and, as the world No. 14, was the highest-ranked player to depart. When it wasn’t pouring, there were plenty of birdies. “That takes a lot of pressure off me”. “It was quite playable the first five holes before the rain hit the first time, and I managed to pick up three birdies on 3, 4, and 5. Then it eased off and I birdied another one on 7”.
On the back nine, Mickelson sandwiched bogeys at Nos.
Unable to make up much ground were the world No. 2 and U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson and fourth-ranked Rory McIlroy, who shot 69 and 71 respectively to sit eight back, tied for 15th.
McIlroy, 27, will have to launch a stunning comeback over the weekend to catch United States veteran Mickelson – but he believes there is still enough scope to do it.
“I thought it was a good round to back up the low one yesterday”, he said.
“The other thing is that from 10 years ago, when I was playing my best golf, I’m 25 pounds lighter, I’m in better shape, I’m physically stronger than I was”.
“One of the things I’ve really worked on over the years is getting a ball on to the ground off the tee quickly so the ground is affecting it more so than the air”, added Mickelson. He has control of his shots and the flight of his ball in the wind and rain.
Mickelson would become the second oldest Open champion after Old Tom Morris, who was 46 years and 99 days when he won at Prestwick in 1867, but he is adamant age is irrelevant.
Others may have something to say about that storyline, however, though not the ones you might expect.
TROON, SCOTLAND-Jason Day went through four pairs of gloves, trying desperately to stay dry in the pounding rain.
Defending champion Zach Johnson (70, 5-under total), 2011 Masters victor Charl Schwartzel (66, 4-under) and Sergio Garcia (70, 4-under) are among other semi-luminaries also sniffing around.
“I don’t feel pressure like probably a lot of the players do to try to win the claret jug because I’ve already won it, and it takes a lot of pressure off me”, Mickelson said. “We’ll see if that has anything to do with it”.
“Some draws go your way”, Rory McIlroy said, “and some draws don’t”. There is no point starting to think about outcome at this stage, really.
Mickelson was asked if he chooses to play on the rare times it rains at home. Until then, he didn’t have a top-10 finish, and he came in third.
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“You know when you see such a disparity between the draw and you see no name from this side of the draw popping up, it’s just frustrating”.
