Mickelson falters in opening round at Pebble Beach

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. - The last time Phil Mickelson didn't make a birdie during a U.S. Open round was the first day in 2007 at Oakmont, where he opened with a 74 and proceeded to miss the cut.

Yesterday, at Pebble Beach Golf Links, the only guy who has a chance to win the Grand Slam this season went birdie-less once again. This time, he carded a 4-over-par 75 that left him down but not necessarily out of the USGA's 110th national championship. At least not yet.

"I just putted horrific," Mickelson said after his highest first round of a U.S. Open in 13 years. "It's very frustrating to me to miss all those opportunities. I don't mind making a bad swing here, making a bogey there, it's just part of a U.S. Open. I've got to make birdies, not miss those 5-footers and that 3-footer and a couple of 10-footers.

"I thought the golf course was set up perfectly. It was very playable. There was some scoring out there if you played well. I'm rolling the ball well, but there's something off. I thought I was ready. I think the greens were very fair."

Starting on the back nine in the early morning, Lefty parred his first six holes. But he followed with three consecutive bogeys, including one at No. 18 when he hit his second shot, with a fairway wood, off a sea wall and into Carmel Bay left of the fairway.

Phil gave one more stroke back, at the short par-4 fourth, where he put his tee ball in a bunker and couldn't get it out in one. He inadvertently played out of order, but was not penalized, because it was determined that he had not done so to give anyone an advantage.

- Mike Kern