CHARLOTTE, NC – It has been nine months since Phil Mickelson finished in the top 20, and it looks like the streak is about to end at the Wells Fargo Championship.
The 50-year-old Mickelson kept his focus on Thursday at Quall Hollow and inflated the course to a 7-under 64 to build a two-shot lead after the opening round. One of all his eight birdies was about 5 feet inside.
Mikelson left five birdies in a six-hole stretch around the bend. He closes with two birdies and is 4-for-4 for his best score since 63 in the second round of the Travelers Championship last June.
Lefty missed the Valspar Championship cut last week, saying he was worried about losing concentration and giving up shots during a round. This was not an issue in Quail Hollow, a course he loves for a mixture of birdie holes and tough par holes.
“The biggest thing for me was that I was currently able to say and focus on each shot,” Mickelson said. “My mind is in danger of going astray.”
KH Lee had 66 in the morning, while Inisbrook runner-up Keegan Bradley scored 66 in the afternoon.
The group of 67 included former US Open champions Gary Woodland, Tommy Fleetwood and Keith Mitchell, who reached a sloppy double bogey on the long par-3 sixth hole to go under 6 and close out with a bogey. Still, Mitchell was 15 shots better than his previous outing, which was 82 at Inisbrook on Sunday.
Mickelson credits his fun to everyone Joel Dahmen (68) and old soul Lanto Griffin, who struggled to 75 as he tries to secure a spot at the US Open.
Dahmen tweeted that a round with Mikkelsen was on his bucket list and he looked forward to seeing how his game would be the best on the PGA Tour Champions. Mickelson has won 50 times on the senior circuit twice last summer.
“He’s a great guy,” Dahmen said. “He’s so full of information, that would be a good way to put it up. I patted him a little bit, and he showed a fantastic game. I was trying not to get my butt too bad.”
Mostly, though, this Phil looked like the old Phil.
His lone bogey came in at number 11, the second hole of the afternoon. His longest birdie put was 15 feet at 341 yards 14th, off the tee, but it was tough to get it close to the rear right pin. Mickelsen went up-and-down from a bunker on foot-5 15 holes. From there, he barely missed his irony.
It began with an approach at number 5 on the 16th. After saving from the right side of the green on par-3 17, Mickelson hit a 3-footer at 187, 5 feet at the 507-yard first hole.
He finished his round with a long two-putt bird on the par-5 seventh, and a beautiful pitch up to 5 feet with pins on the upper shelf.
Quoll Hollow was not easy for some other stars.
Two-time winner Rory McIlroy opened at Wells Fargo with a 72 as he tries to make it to the weekend since Bay Hill two months ago.
US Open champion Bryson DeChambu birdied two of his last three holes for 70. DeChambu was running fine until a big drive found the bunker, and sent his next shot out-of-bounds to the right, leading to a double bogey.
Patrick Cantley and Gander Scaffell each shot 72. John Rahm made eight bogeys and scored 76 runs in his first tournament since the Masters.
Justin Thomas held his own with a 69 in the morning.
Mikelson said that he is doing some mental exercises, though he may be asked to keep him with Dahman and Grinnin before the tour.
Dahmen said some of the discussions inside the ropes were different from other players.
“We’ve got in some dopamine talk, frontal lobe and dopamine, and then its units, which I was really impressed with,” Dahmen said. “Then he hit 6 feet of iron to 3 feet, so his dopamine should have been right on it.”
Mickelson is ranked number 115 in the world and is still not eligible for the US Open. Their last victory was two years ago over Pebble Beach. Last summer was his last good chance to win at the World Golf Championship in Tennessee.
He said, “Physically I have nothing to do with playing at a high level, but you cannot make mistakes at this level.” “The people here are just so good, and I’m making a lot of mistakes, just not getting mentally sharp.”
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