Mickelson reckons it is golf’s “curse” that stopped him making history and he does not think he will get another opportunity to do it.
Advertisement
This time, he was striding the ageless fairways of Royal Troon on a sun-splashed Thursday in the first round of the 145th British Open.
Phil Mickelson leads The Open by three strokes but will have mixed emotions after missing out on becoming the first man to shoot 62 in a major.
Rory McIlroy, the four-time major victor from Northern Ireland, posted 32 on his front nine but endured an up-and-down back nine, double bogeying the par-4 13th, bogeying No. 14 and then making birdie on the 15th.
Even with such a close call, Mickelson is in good company.
“I had this right in the centre of the hole with a foot to go and it was ideal speed”. “That putt on 18 was the opportunity to do something historical”.
“I think if I would’ve stepped on the first tee and someone would have given me a 69, I probably would have taken it”, McIlroy said. “It was, ‘Wow, that stings'”.
All three seemed to be well-positioned for the second day, but Kaymer at least was not getting ahead of himself.
Bowditch, who briefly led on moving day a year ago, is well on the way to missing the halfway cut for the eighth time in a dozen starts after racking up a nine on the brutal par-4 11th.
That was good enough to put him within a shot of early co-leaders Mickelson and Reed Patrick, who were both 5-under at the time.
On a gorgeous, sunny day along the Scottish coast, the Americans – including Madison’s Steve Stricker – resumed their domination of Royal Troon.
“You really need to make hay on the front nine with a lot of these holes playing downwind”, said McIlroy.
Asked if he believed in the golfing gods, Mickelson said jokingly: “I didn’t, but I do now”. Twenty-seven before Mickelson today had managed 63, and eight in the Open Championship.
Kaymer has not won since claiming his second major title in the 2014 US Open and lost his full playing rights on the PGA Tour at the end of last season, but is enjoying playing more in Europe.
“It’s nice that the tournament started”, McIlroy said after opening with a 2-under 69. An up-and-down later, Monty was walking off with a double-bogey 6 from possibly the easiest hole at Troon.
Reed’s eagle showed early on that it was possible to jump in the right direction, too.
Former champion Louis Oosthuizen lit up the Open with an ace on the par-three 14th during his opening round even-par 71. He didn’t get out, and had to play the next shot backward away from the green, leading to double bogey.
“It’s one of these golf courses that it allows you to get off to a quick start and allows you to get nearly overconfident and cocky”.
Marc Leishman, runner-up previous year at St Andrews, also wasted a fine start to card a three-over 74, while Steven Bowditch’s horror season continued with a 79.
On the Postage Stamp, his tee shot landed within six feet of the pin.
Advertisement
He then added birdies at the fourth, sixth and seventh to reach the turn in 31, but bogeyed the 10th and 13th and did well to come home in level-par 35.
