Posted 01-28-2010Mickelson builds into his first week with a “cautious” 70
SAN DIEGO (Jan. 28, 2009) – Before Wednesday’s Farmers Insurance Open pro-am Phil Mickelson used the word “excited” 10 times to describe how he felt on the eve of his 2010 season.
After his first-round on the South Course Thursday he used the word “anxious” a couple of times to describe how he had felt heading into the round that morning. Subtle but important difference there, between “excited” and “anxious.”
There were a couple of reasons for that slight and perhaps unwitting description.
After 18 years Mickelson knows well the difference between preparing well, shooting some nice numbers in tune-up, getting encouragement from coaches and playing for keeps in a PGA Tour event. Nerves kick in, for one thing, and that’s a good thing. Even the best players know the difference between playing with buddies and playing on front of fans who expect to see the No. 2 player in the world play like it.
And at Torrey Pines, where the scoring average is generally two shots higher on the South Course than the North, there’s no sticking a toe into the shallow end of the pool for your first dip of the season when you start on the first tee of the South Course. Thursday only six players of the low 39 scores were on the South. Fall too far behind the first day on a South and a player needs to go seriously low the second day to make the cut.
All of which is why Mickelson was “anxious” Thursday morning and played what he called “a little cautious” in his round of two under par 70, which left him tied for 40th.
He didn’t look like he was playing it cautiously on the first hole. His opening drive landed 308 yards away in the heart of the fairway, 26 ahead of fellow competitor Marc Turnesa and 17 in front of Ryan Palmer. His approach was bold, just past the back-left pin into a bunker. Then make a 30 foot sand shot to 2 feet and make that for par. That’s when caution kicked in.
That approach was one the very few errant ones. He hit nine fairways and 14 greens. He needed 33 putts on the soft and spongy but quick greens but reached three of the par-5s in two and was 4-under on the long holes. Two notables there: his one drive that wasn’t within a yard of a fairway was on the par-5 9th, and that one was in a car park left. But his ball was identified on the other side of a fence, a temporary moveable obstruction, so he took a free drop and made a 20-foot putt for birdie. And on 18, he had 258 yards to carry the front of the green.
“I can carry my 3-wood 265 comfortably,” he said, “so I gave it a little bit extra.”
From 44 feet hole-high and left, he hit his worst approach putt of the day, six feet past, but made that for a birdie.
Even with the impressively bold shows to start and finish, Mickelson said, “I played a little cautious, trying not to make too many mistakes and keep myself in it because tomorrow the North provides and opportunity to shoot a low round. I didn’t want to come out and try to win the tournament on Thursday because it’s not possible. I wanted to try to build into it so I’m hoping I play better tomorrow, good enough to get myself into contention on the weekend.”
Thursday was an “anxious” 70. A low round on Friday would bring “eager” into play on Saturday.