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Mickleson takes off to blistering start as Woods struggles
Rochester, Aug 15: Phil Mickelson put himself on track for a long-awaited major title with an opening 66 and a share of the U.S. PGA Championship lead on Thursday, but Tiger Woods struggled to a four-over-par 74.
Rochester, Aug 15: Phil Mickelson put himself on track for a long-awaited major title with an opening 66 and a share of the U.S. PGA Championship lead on Thursday, but Tiger Woods struggled to a four-over-par 74.
Temperatures soared at a hot and humid Oak Hill Country Club after two weeks` rain had soaked the par-70 layout and, with the rough up and the fairways tight, only 12 players in the 154-strong field managed to break par.
However, the left-handed Mickelson, chasing his first major in his 46th appearance, got off to a blistering start, picking up three shots in his first four holes after teeing off at the par-four 10th.
He recovered from a bogey on 17 with further birdies at18, the second and the fourth, but then dropped a stroke at the uphill par-four ninth to match the four-under 66 carded earlier by Australia`s Rod Pampling.
Pampling, appearing in his first U.S. PGA Championship, had reeled off four birdies for a blemish-free round to hold the early clubhouse lead.
The 33-year-old from Queensland, who has placed fourth, joint-11th and joint-24th in his last three U.S. starts, said it had taken him a while to find suitable replacement clubs after his original set was stolen from his garage in mid-April.
"I just woke up one morning, because they were all packed up and ready to go, and there was nothing there," Pampling told reporters. "Gone."
American Billy Andrade, playing in one of the last groups out, birdied the last for a 67 and outright third, while U.S. Masters champion Mike Weir and twice U.S. Open winner Lee Janzen carded matching 68s to share fourth.
"It was one good day...it was a nice start but it is nothing more than that," said Mickelson. "I felt like I played well and shot four under on a very difficult course. Heading into this week, I knew I was playing better than I had all year because of my performance last week."
The 33-year-old American tied for sixth at The International on Sunday, his best finish since placing third at the U.S. Masters in April.
Weir, who became the first left-hander to win a major in 40 years at Augusta National, said: "I felt what held me in there for a good round was driving the ball.
"I drove it well today and I putted well. I made a lot of putts inside of eight feet and rolled the ball well."
Mickelson and Weir played themselves into early contention for the last of the year`s four majors, but Woods now faces the prospect of ending the season without a grand slam victory for the first time since 1998.
The world number one, chasing his ninth major but his first since last year`s U.S. Open, battled for most of the day and failed to break par in his opening round for the fourth major in a row.
"I just didn`t drive very well and put myself under a lot of pressure because of it," said Woods. "It didn`t matter what club I hit off the tee, I couldn`t keep (the ball) in play.
"I just need a little more trust in my swing. I feel pretty good stepping over it but, as soon as I come down, I don`t trust it. That is just the way it goes sometimes."
The 27-year-old American had birdied 13 after an unspectacular start to get to one under, but then dropped shots on 14 and 15.
Although he parred the next five holes, he bogeyed the 214-yard third after underclubbing with a five-iron into the wind, and then ran up a double-bogey six at the par-four seventh, where he missed the fairway off the tee.
Woods, winner of back-to-back U.S. PGA Championship titles in 1999 and 2000, also dropped a shot at the ninth, where he missed a tiddler from just three feet.
Among the other big names, 1998 champion Vijay Singh returned a 69, world number two Ernie Els shot a 71 and U.S. Open winner Jim Furyk finished with a 72.
Davis Love III, the 1997 winner and a favourite this week with four PGA Tour titles to his name this season, dropped shots at the last three holes to join Woods on four-over 74.
Seven-times European number one Colin Montgomerie, who was edged out by Australia`s Steve Elkington in a playoff for the 1995 title at Riviera, fared even worse, stumbling to a 12-over-par 82 to match holder Rich Beem`s opening score.
Beem`s 82 was the highest first-round score by a defending champion in the tournament`s history, eclipsing the 79 shot by Jerry Barber in 1962.
Bureau Report
The 33-year-old from Queensland, who has placed fourth, joint-11th and joint-24th in his last three U.S. starts, said it had taken him a while to find suitable replacement clubs after his original set was stolen from his garage in mid-April.
"I just woke up one morning, because they were all packed up and ready to go, and there was nothing there," Pampling told reporters. "Gone."
American Billy Andrade, playing in one of the last groups out, birdied the last for a 67 and outright third, while U.S. Masters champion Mike Weir and twice U.S. Open winner Lee Janzen carded matching 68s to share fourth.
"It was one good day...it was a nice start but it is nothing more than that," said Mickelson. "I felt like I played well and shot four under on a very difficult course. Heading into this week, I knew I was playing better than I had all year because of my performance last week."
The 33-year-old American tied for sixth at The International on Sunday, his best finish since placing third at the U.S. Masters in April.
Weir, who became the first left-hander to win a major in 40 years at Augusta National, said: "I felt what held me in there for a good round was driving the ball.
"I drove it well today and I putted well. I made a lot of putts inside of eight feet and rolled the ball well."
Mickelson and Weir played themselves into early contention for the last of the year`s four majors, but Woods now faces the prospect of ending the season without a grand slam victory for the first time since 1998.
The world number one, chasing his ninth major but his first since last year`s U.S. Open, battled for most of the day and failed to break par in his opening round for the fourth major in a row.
"I just didn`t drive very well and put myself under a lot of pressure because of it," said Woods. "It didn`t matter what club I hit off the tee, I couldn`t keep (the ball) in play.
"I just need a little more trust in my swing. I feel pretty good stepping over it but, as soon as I come down, I don`t trust it. That is just the way it goes sometimes."
The 27-year-old American had birdied 13 after an unspectacular start to get to one under, but then dropped shots on 14 and 15.
Although he parred the next five holes, he bogeyed the 214-yard third after underclubbing with a five-iron into the wind, and then ran up a double-bogey six at the par-four seventh, where he missed the fairway off the tee.
Woods, winner of back-to-back U.S. PGA Championship titles in 1999 and 2000, also dropped a shot at the ninth, where he missed a tiddler from just three feet.
Among the other big names, 1998 champion Vijay Singh returned a 69, world number two Ernie Els shot a 71 and U.S. Open winner Jim Furyk finished with a 72.
Davis Love III, the 1997 winner and a favourite this week with four PGA Tour titles to his name this season, dropped shots at the last three holes to join Woods on four-over 74.
Seven-times European number one Colin Montgomerie, who was edged out by Australia`s Steve Elkington in a playoff for the 1995 title at Riviera, fared even worse, stumbling to a 12-over-par 82 to match holder Rich Beem`s opening score.
Beem`s 82 was the highest first-round score by a defending champion in the tournament`s history, eclipsing the 79 shot by Jerry Barber in 1962.
Bureau Report