BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Patience and Phil Mickelson haven't always been pals, but the San Diegan didn't have much choice yesterday when he opened the PGA Championship with two bogeys from the sand at Oakland Hills.
It looked scarily similar to Mickelson's troubles last week in his final-stretch loss to Vijay Singh in the Bridgestone Invitational.
Mickelson didn't let the bogeys sink him, though, and he responded with five birdies and some impressive par recoveries that led to an even-par 70 that put him just two shots behind the clubhouse leaders, Robert Karlsson and Jeev Milkha Singh.
It is the second straight time Mickelson has opened the PGA with a round in the 70s – he had a 73 last year en route to a tie for 32nd – after four straight appearances with a start in the 60s.
“I'm just happy to have shot even par today,” Mickelson said.
“The challenge with the pin placements is that if you want to try to make up ground and fire at the pin, you're not always afforded the opportunity to do that on the next hole. You might have to wait two or three holes to try to make pars before you're able to get that shot back that you just lost.”
Starting on the 10th hole, Mickelson had a wild opening nine, making only two pars. He missed his first three fairways, all to the right side with the hook shot the left-hander has said he is trying to avoid. After the two bogeys, he bounced back with a birdie at the 12th from 6 feet.
Mickelson needed only a par on the par-3 ninth to shoot 69, but came up short in the fringe, chipped to 5 feet and missed a hard-breaking putt.
“There were a couple of chances I had with my short game that I didn't take advantage of, so that's what I'm going to work on,” said Mickelson, who draws an afternoon tee time today.
Locals watch
Playing in his fourth career major and first PGA, Escondido native
John Mallinger feels as if he's starting to get a handle on the big events. Going off in the first group on the 10th tee in the morning, Mallinger shot 2-under on his front and got on the leaderboard before making four bogeys coming in to settle for a 2-over 72.
“I drove the ball pretty badly today, so I'm happy with the score I got out of it,” said Mallinger, 28. “I feel like I have a good game plan now, and the key is to stick to it. There are just some of these flags that you can't go for, so you have to hit it to the middle of the green and lag it from there.”
Mallinger is having a solid second year on tour. He's made 14 of 21 cuts and has earned $876,298 to put him 88th on the money list. He was disappointed, however, in his effort at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, where he tied for 65th.
Pat Perez (Torrey Pines High), who has missed two straight cuts to slow what has been an above-average season, made 14 pars but suffered a double bogey on the 387-yard sixth, leading to a 73.
Eye injury force Perry to withdraw
Kenny Perry signed his scorecard for a 79 and then withdrew from the tournament because of an eye injury.
“I'm going home,” Perry said. “I can't handle it. I can't play golf like this.”
Perry said he has a scratched cornea in his right eye. He believes he sustained the injury while removing his contact lenses on Tuesday night. He said a doctor told him his eye should heal in a week if he leaves his contacts out. He hopes to be ready for the start of the FedEx Cup Playoffs on Aug. 21.
Singh has a link to the Olympics
The Summer Olympics, including those starting in Beijing, hold a special place in the life of Singh, the first-round co-leader from India. His father,
Milkha Singh, was known as “The Flying Sikh” and is most famous for breaking the world record in the 400 meters but not winning a medal in the 1960 Rome Olympics.
The elder Singh, now 72, led most of the final before being overtaken by three runners. Singh finished fourth, and all four sprinters broke the world record.
“He lost the gold, but he's done a lot for the sport in our country, and I think coming from a sporting background, it's helped me,” Singh said. “That's why I'm a professional golfer. I'm fortunate my parents pushed me in the right direction.”
Tod Leonard: (619) 293-1858; tod.leonard@uniontrib.com
