The two most-heralded golfers in the Masters field played workmanlike opening rounds Thursday that kept them in contention but out of the spotlight that shone on the young leaders, Rory McIlroy and Alvaro Quiros.
Defending champion Phil Mickelson bogeyed No. 18 to shoot a 2-under-par 70 that placed him in a tie for 14th, five strokes off the lead. Tiger Woods stood six back after posting a 71 and joining a logjam in 24th place.
Mickelson, teeing off in the next-to-last group of the day, posted seven consecutive pars to start his round. He birdied the par-5 No. 8 and parred the ninth to make the turn at 1-under.
He displayed some of his typical dramatics on the par-5 13th hole, which Wednesday he described as his favorite hole on the course. Mickelson sliced his drive into the azaleas left of the fairway, but he pitched out safely and saved par. Playing with two drivers in his bag, he hit just four of 14 fairways, although he managed to hit 12 of 18 greens. Birdies at Nos. 14 and 15 vaulted him to 3 under before a pulled drive on the final hole forced him to play away from the flag. He just missed the green to the left and failed to salvage a par.
No comments:
Post a Comment