Phil Mickelson disappoints local fans in the first round of US open
It appears that 111th US Open is going to elude the last American hope, Phil Mickelson, for another sixth time. While many of the spectators followed their sports idol throughout the day, little did they realize that Mickelson would actually complete
the round with an over-par 74 and would yet manage to smile. For Mickelson, however, it was a day when he averted a complete disaster which would have left him facing a dead end.
"This actually turned out to be a great day," Mickelson said, "because I played horrific."
The 41-year-old, who opened the first round on Thursday, also his birthday, carded an over par score and was bamboozled with his drives. Mickelson was able to hit five out of the 14 fairways and just eight greens in regulation but still managed to somehow
finish with three-over.
"I don't normally play four days perfectly, so this was my bad round and, hopefully, I'll get it turned around tomorrow. I get an early tee time. I'll have a course in good shape for the morning and see if I can come out with a low score." Mickelson was
later talking to reporters.
Starting off from back nine, Mickelson dropped his first shot in the pool at Par-three, 10th and kept hitting incessantly to the left all day. Fortunately for the left-hander, the roughs have not been that deadly as they usually are for a US Open.
On the 16th hole, the shot went wayward and dropped in the rough, which left Mickelson having to pull it out using a driver. On his way to his final holes, the shot for number three landed on the cart way and much to his embarrassment, Mickelson
had to retrieve it while making a shot on the path.
"To be able to shoot what I did from where I did," Mickelson said, "I'll gladly take it."
Strangely though, for Mickelson, this has not happened for the first time in his career. The lanky American shot a 75 on the first day of the US Open back in 1997 when the event was held in Congressional, while he was playing alongside Colin Montgomerie.
After Tiger Woods' slump in recent years and with the dearth of high profile American golfers, Mickelson is the lone torch bearer for the home crowd who have placed their bets on him. Having won the Masters for a whooping three times, Mickelson has never
been able to win the US open despite of his five runners up finish. He is hoping to break this spell for the 21st time in his career, pitted against the trail blazing golfers from the other side of Atlantic.
While Mickelson kept digging his ball out of the roughs the whole day, Rory McIlroy managed to shoot six-under, 65 in his bogey-free round to grab the lead on the opening day.
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