He made just one bogey in his 72-hole run (Pebble Beach’s par-4 third hole, third round) and 23 birdies en route to a 22 under-par total of 265.
Advertisement
Mickelson, Freddie Jacobson (69) and Chez Reavie (70) were one shot to par behind at 10 under, while Justin Rose had a 68 and was at 9 under.
On another day when the temperature on the Monterey Peninsula was in the high 60s, or the same as the best scores, Mickelson shot a 6-under-par 65 at Monterey Peninsula, easiest of the three courses in the rotation.
Comedian Bill Murray prepares to tee off on the 1st hole during the 3M Celebrity Challenge prior to the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Golf Links on February 10, 2016 in Pebble Beach, California.
Jordan Spieth reacts after missing a birdie putt on the second green of the Spyglass Hill Golf Course during the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, in Pebble Beach, …
Kang, playing in his 16th career PGA Tour tournament, shot a course record, tournament record and career-best 11-under 60 on the par-71 Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula Country Club.
Kang sank nine birdies and an eagle in his 11-under round to hold a share of the lead on 11 under with Japan’s Hiroshi Iwata, who shot a 66 at Pebble Beach.
Mickelson was 7 under through 10 holes at Monterey Peninsula, with a pair of par 5s among the eight holes he had remaining. “This is my first time at Pebble Beach, and you don’t get views like this anywhere in the world”. If you are going to get Pebble Beach, you better get it early.
What’s more is that Rose had played a practice round at MPCC on Tuesday, while he had only walked a couple of holes at Spyglass before his opening round. That stands to reason when one shoots 60 and the other 65. He had a one-shot lead playing the final hole of the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, made double bogey and said later, “I am such an idiot”. He said he didn’t know who Romano was before the week started.
That left Reavie, whose only PGA Tour victory came at the 2008 Canadian Open, one stroke in front of Australian Cameron Smith and American Bronson Burgoon, who also played at Monterey, after a picture postcard day of unbroken sunshine.
“I think he’ll remember me after today”, he said. So now, I’m just going – yeah, I don’t have any pressure even if I miss a shot or hit it bad.
“I’ve been in such great position, but I’m just 1 under on the par-5s”, he said.
Advertisement
The putts dried up for the Englishman on the front nine, and a birdie at the long sixth was offset by his only bogey of the day at the eighth as he closed on nine under par. Kang set the course record, eclipsing Cal alum Charlie Wi’s 61 in 2012, and also established the tournament record for low score.
