SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.\u2014Phil Mickelson\u2019s back was better than his game Thursday in the Phoenix Open.<\/p>\n
Returning to play after withdrawing from Torrey Pines last Friday night because of back pain, Mickelson opened his title defence with an even-par 71 at TPC Scottsdale. That left him seven strokes behind leaders Bubba Watson and Y.E. Yang.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy back is fine. My game was a little rusty,\u201d Mickelson said. \u201cI got off to a poor start, played a couple over, and finished poorly. In the middle of the round, though, I hit a lot of good shots and had a good little run, but it just wasn\u2019t quite sharp. I wasn\u2019t quite focused on every shot the way I need to be and let way too many shots slide.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mickelson first felt soreness in his back two weeks ago in Abu Dhabi, and pulled out of his hometown event in San Diego after making the 36-hole cut. He flew to Georgia to see back specialist Tom Boers and was told his facet joints locked up.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fine. Honestly, it\u2019s no big deal,\u201d Mickelson said. \u201cIt was a five-minute fix. I just have to be careful for a week or two as it heals up. It\u2019s fine. Mobility is back. It\u2019s just not a big deal. … It happens every now and then. Last time was about four years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mickelson had a double bogey on the par-3 12th\u2014his third hole of the morning round\u2014after hitting into the left-side water. He made 20-foot birdie putts on the next two holes, but three-putted for par on the par-5 15th after hitting a hybrid pin-high from 245 yards.<\/p>\n
\u201cFifteen really stung,\u201d Mickelson said. \u201cIt was only a 12- or 15-footer, and I am thinking eagle. I roll it 6 feet by and I miss it coming back. That was costly.<\/p>\n
Lefty got to 3 under with birdies on Nos. 17, 1 and 4, then bogeyed three of his last five holes. He three-putted the par-4 fifth\u2014missing from 5 1\/2 and 3 1\/2 feet\u2014and failed to get-up-down for par after finding greenside bunkers on Nos. 7 and 9.<\/p>\n
\u201cI threw away a lot of shots,\u201d Mickelson said. \u201cI made some careless swings. Hitting it in the water on 12 was just pathetic. Playing the last five holes at 3 over, when I had the round going, was really bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
He hit five of 14 fairways, 11 greens in regulation and had 30 putts.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t as sharp as I need to be, for sure,\u201d Mickelson said.<\/p>\n
In his victory last year, he opened with a 60\u2014lipping out a birdie putt on the final hole\u2014and matched the tournament record at 28-under 256. The 43-year-old former Arizona State star is making his 25th appearance in the event that he also won in 1996 and 2005.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fun to be back here,\u201d Mickelson said. \u201cI love playing here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Watson and Yang shot 64.<\/p>\n
Watson birdied four of the final six holes. The 2012 Masters champion had eight birdies and a bogey in the afternoon session.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis golf course, if your ball-striking is good, you can shoot some good numbers here,\u201d Watson said after hitting 17 greens in regulation. \u201cHit a lot of greens, didn\u2019t make too many mistakes, didn\u2019t miss too many fairways. Just played solid.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yang birdied the final two holes. The 2009 PGA winner also had eight birdies and a bogey, playing the back nine in 6-under 30 in his morning round.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think you have to be aggressive,\u201d the South Korean player said through a translator. \u201cAt the same time, you can\u2019t be too aggressive. … You have to really balance it out, but you still have to be a little bit more aggressive than other tournaments.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scottsdale residents Pat Perez, Kevin Stadler and Matt Jones were a stroke back at 65 along with Harris English, William McGirt, Greg Chalmers and Chris Kirk.<\/p>\n
Perez had five straight birdies and seven in a nine-hole stretch. The former Arizona State player tied for second Sunday at Torrey Pines in his hometown event.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew I was going to hit it good,\u201d Perez said. \u201cI hit it great on the range.\u201d<\/p>\n
English birdied Nos. 12-15 to top the leaderboard at 8 under, but bogeyed the par-3 16th\u2014the rowdy stadium hole\u2014and the par-4 18th.<\/p>\n
He hit an 8-iron over the green on the 178-yard 16th.<\/p>\n
\u201cI guess I was a little juiced up on that tee,\u201d English said. \u201cI left myself with an impossible up-and-down.\u201d<\/p>\n
Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., fired a 4-under 67. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., is another shot back at 68. Amateur Ki Taek Lee of Vancouver shot a 2-over 74. Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., carded a 75, and Calgary\u2019s Stephen Ames had a 76.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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