SCORESHEET
DAY 1
June 18th 2010, Pebble Beach, U.S.A.: He won't start Saturday's third round in the lead, but Phil Mickelson made sure he will be a factor in the 2010 U.S. Open.
Rebounding from a disappointing birdie-less 75 on Thursday, Mickelson charged the challenging Pebble Beach Golf Links like a 100-meter sprinter Friday afternoon, posting a championship-low 66 over the 7,040-yard, par-71 layout to get within two strokes of the 36-hole lead held by Graeme McDowell.
McDowell, fresh off a win at the Celtic Manor Wales Open two weeks ago, carded a 68 Friday morning for a 139 total.
Two-time U.S. Open champion Ernie Els, who also had a second-round 68, Dustin Johnson and 18-year-old Japanese wunkerkind Ryo Ishikawa lurk two strokes back with Mickelson at 141.
The group at even -par 142 includes first-round leaders Paul Casey (73) and Brendon de Jonge (73), Jerry Kelly (70) and Alex Cejka (142).
Tiger Woods, who won the 2000 U.S. Open here by a record 15 shots, sits seven strokes behind after a second-round 72.
The cut - low 60 and ties and anyone within 10 shots of the lead - came at 7-over 149, with 81 professionals and two amateurs (Scott Langley and Russell Henley) qualifying for the weekend. Langley, the newly-crowned NCAA Division I champion from the University of Illinois, shot a 2-under 69 on Friday.
But it was Mickelson who produced rock-star roars, making birdies on four of his first six holes to get back into the championship. His charge was reminiscent of the third-round, eagle-eagle-birdie sequence at Augusta National this past April that helped him win his third green jacket and fourth major.
A short phone call with putting instructor Dave Stockton and a minor adjustment might have been the remedy.
"I knew I needed to get off to a quick start because the birdie holes are the first seven and I needed to capitalize on that," said Mickelson, who totaled 25 putts, seven fewer than his first round. "Well, obviously I got the putting going. I'm in a good spot. I don't look at the leaderboard. I don't look at other players. I look at par.
"It doesn't matter who is up on the leaderboard or what's going on, somewhere around par is always going to be in it."
As he moved up the board, Mickelson had some thinking he could match the 18-hole U.S. Open single-round scoring mark of 63. He didn't quite get there, but his birdie at eight moved him to 5-under for the day. Following a bogey at nine and his sixth birdie of the round at 11, there were also quality chances at 13, 14 and 16. He settled for seven consecutive pars to close the round.
McDowell, meanwhile, is hoping to break a 40-year European U.S. Open victory drought. Not since Tony Jacklin won at Hazeltine National in 1970 has a Euro hoisted the trophy.
In fact, no European has ever won at Pebble Beach. Not in the four previous Opens or the one PGA Championship. Not at the PGA Tour's annual AT&T National Pro-Am or the Champions Tour Wal-Mart First Tee Open.
McDowell, a former University of Alabama-Birmingham All-American and member of the victorious 2001 Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup Team, admitted he's not much into history. Outside of Woods, he couldn't name the other previous U.S. Open champions at Pebble Beach, despite all three being World Golf Hall of Fame members (Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Tom Kite).
The 30-year-old Northern Ireland native does, however, know the significance of a U.S. Open title and what it would mean for his career. The five-time European Tour winner and 2008 Ryder Cup member could be on the verge of a breakthrough this week.
His 68 on Friday was his best U.S. Open round, beating the pair of 69s he posted last year at Bethpage Black. And it came after a 4:20 a.m. wake-up call and two bogeys on his first three holes. McDowell then played his final 14 holes in three under par with only a three-putt bogey-5 at the ninth - his last of the day - spoiling an otherwise spectacular round.
"I'm trying to put no expectations on myself this weekend," said McDowell, "because, a), I know there are a lot of great players out here, and b), this golf course is extremely difficult."
When McDowell won the Barclays Scottish Open in 2008, it came a week before the British Open at Royal Birkdale and he admittedly faded on the weekend from mental and physical fatigue. So McDowell took last week off following the win in Wales and came to Pebble refreshed and prepared. He got in four solid practice rounds at Pebble, but just nine holes Tuesday and Wednesday.
"This time I feel different," said McDowell. "This win has been a huge springboard for me … a springboard for a good summer. I feel very relaxed and very under control of what I'm doing."
Right now, Mickelson also appears to be in control. A five-time runner-up, Mickelson desperately wants to remove the bridesmaid label at this championship.
After turning 40 on Wednesday, it would be the ideal post-birthday gift.
