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Phil Mickelson made a bogey-par back-nine start in Thursday’s first round of the US Open while American Matthew Wolff birdied three of his first four holes to grab the early lead at Torrey Pines.
Hometown hero Mickelson launched his bid for a career Grand Slam a day after his 51st birthday with a lip-out for par from just inside 15 feet at the par-4 10th hole then sank a clutch six-footer at the par-3 11th and parred the 12th to stay 1-over.
World number 30 Mickelson became golf’s oldest major winner last month by taking the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island to capture his sixth career major title.
But the US Open is the crown that has eluded him, the left-hander settling for a record six runner-up showings at the event.
With a victory, Mickelson would join a select group of career Grand Slam winners that includes Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Gene Sarazen.
Fellow back-nine starter Wolff birdied the 10th from 23 feet, dropped his approach inside three feet at 12 to set up another birdie, then rolled in a birdie from just inside six feet at the par-5 13th to seize the lead at 3-under par.
World number nine Tyrrell Hatton of England was off to a sizzling start, sinking a 21-foot birdie putt on the first hole and a birdie putt from just inside 10 feet at the second to share second on 2-under with Italy’s Francesco Molinari.
Early morning fog rolled in off the Pacific Ocean to delay the start by 90 minutes at Torrey Pines as a field of 156, with Mickelson the eldest, tested the formidable 7,652-yard, par-71 oceanside layout.
Such stars as fifth-ranked defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, world number one Dustin Johnson and third-ranked Jon Rahm could be racing the darkness to complete their rounds.
Mickelson has won three times at Torrey Pines in US PGA Tour events but all were before a 2001 course renovation, forcing him to spend much of the past two weeks re-learning the nuances of a course he once knew well.
Mickelson remains a popular bet at 50-1 odds after his historic triumph at Kiawah Island, raising concerns from some oddsmakers about major payouts if he manages another shock win.
Johnson, last year’s Masters champion, could be overtaken in the rankings if number two Justin Thomas or Spaniard Rahm win the US Open.
Johnson would need to finish worse than solo 17th if Thomas wins or worse than a two-way share of 18th if Rahm wins to be dethroned.
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