Golf news: Phil Mickelson gets a bumpy ride in the first round of the Tour Championship
Phil Mickelson kept his fans on the edge of their seats because of his erratic performance at the Tour Championship yesterday. The first round of the final play-off event of the FedEx Cup took place at the East Lake Golf course in Atlanta and proved to be a very bumpy ride for the defending champion.
Also known as ‘Phil the Thrill’ due to his unique playing strategies, Phil provided his lovers with exactly what they were expecting. The roller coaster started off well with two amazing eagles and a birdie. However, the ride soon starting going downhill when Mickelson scored four bogeys to end with a one-under-par 69.
Scoring birdies and eagles wasn’t as easy as it may have seemed on the smooth East Lake course, which became even more challenging on a sunny day like yesterday. Phil ended the round three points away from the leading score. At the end of the day, Paul Casey, Luke Donald and Geoff Ogilvy were leading with a score of 66.
The four times major winner thinks that yesterday was a challenging day. He agrees that there were some good and high scores. Mickelson achieved an eagle when he shot 115 yards to sink the twelfth hole. Unfortunately, the golfer’s drive was weakened with a bogey on the thirteenth hole.
Things got better when he a swung a three-wood to 11 feet at the 15th hole, where he sunk an eagle putt. Again, there was a downfall when at the very next hole Mickelson dropped a shot.
World No. two player said it’s very annoying to have bogeys following the eagles. It’s like enjoying a short-lived happiness that just disappears at the next swing. He said the eagles were ‘good fortune’ and the bogeys were a result of poor swings. Mickelson stated that the golf course is not an easy one and will surely cost a golfer dearly, if he takes it for granted.
There is a lot at stake for Phil this week. If victorious, not only will he take home the FedEx Cup and the $10 Million dollar check, but also the number one spot that is currently occupied by Tiger Woods. Phil has had many chances this year to replace Woods, and he is really hoping in succeeding in his twelfth opportunity.
"I'd love to take advantage of the opportunity," said Phil. He does agree that he has missed out many chances owing to his below-the-mark performance. He didn’t golf the way he wanted to in the first three playoff events. The Barclay’s didn’t work out well for him either, where he missed the cut.
"If I had played halfway decent, I would be in a position to control my own destiny," said Mickelson. He does need to win the Tour championship in order to land the FedEx Cup, since the points standings of the leading players have gone sufficiently back after the first round.
Casey, Donald and Ogilvy weren’t the only players leading Mickelson after the end of the first round. Jim Furyk performed well with sinking three birdies and ending with a bogey-free 67 at the end. K. J Choi finished with a 68, one shot ahead of Mickelson. Accompanying Phil with a 69 were fellow Americans Hunter Mahan and Kevin Na, and Australian golfer Jason Day.
This day went unexpected for many amazing players who weren’t even able to break par. Matt Kuchar, who was leading in points, ended with a 72 and in the nineteenth position. Dustin Johnson shot a 73, whereas Charley Hoffman landed with a 71. Steve Stricker, who has amazing FedEx Cup history so far, finished with a 74.
Overall, as for Mickelson, he agreed that the day could have been better, and it could have been worse as well. After the day finished, Phil said he might stay at the course and work on a few things. Fans really hope Mickelson improves on what he needs to and achieve what he’s wishing for in the coming rounds of the Tour Championship.
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