As this PGA Championship’s first round wound down Thursday evening at Valhalla, Phil Mickelson was the only competitor on the driving range.
“He’s trying to figure out what went wrong,” said ESPN commentator Scott Van Pelt on the broadcast.
Mickelson had just sandwiched a lot of good with some really bad. He bogeyed his opening hole and doubled the next to start 3 over through two. He then played his next 12 holes flawlessly with birdies at Nos. 7, 8, 10 and 14 to get back into red numbers.
But bogeys at Nos. 15 and 16 and another double on the closing par-5 soured Mickelson’s opening round.
While the long game certainly gave Mickelson trouble late, the lefty’s legendary short game failed him down the stretch as well. After missing the fairway left at the par-4 16th hole and coming up short of the green with his approach, Mickelson clipped his 25-yard pitch too softly, his ball hitting the collar, just over a bunker, and stopping.
At the last, Mickelson hooked a drive into the water and then hit his third shot into some juicy bluegrass shy of the green. His next shot caught hosel and rocketed left and over the green, into some more thick stuff. Mickelson struggled to get his fifth shot onto the putting surface, his ball landing just in the rough before trickling onto the green. A slope, however, caught Mickelson’s ball and sent it rolling away from the hole while Mickelson could only watch.
Mickelson limited the damage with a two-putt from 35 feet for a double-bogey 7, but he still signed for a 3-over 74, his seventh major round of 74 or worse in his last eight.
And then it was off to the range.
Phil Mickelson heads straight to the range post round and he’s the only guy out there. He was on the range for hours before the round too, been grinding all day. His work ethic at near 54 is so admirable, it’s special to be a fan of his. Must be exhausted but never quits. pic.twitter.com/JPyaqnHXkz
— Phil Mickelson Tracker (@TrackingPhil) May 16, 2024
