Mickelson stays in hunt for first US Open title after lucky dry round

Published on Saturday 20 June 2009 19:37

WITH thunderstorms fast approaching Bethpage Black on Long Island, Phil Mickelson was happy to be in the clubhouse seven shots off the early lead in the rain-delayed second round of the US Open.

The American left-hander completed a level-par 70 on a dry morning at Bethpage for a one-under total of 139, delighted to have benefited from the favourable half of the draw.

Mickelson, who had seven holes remaining when he resumed the second round yesterday, had negotiated a marathon 29 holes on Friday in the best weather of the week.

However, three-times champion Tiger Woods was among the early first-round starters who set off in heavy rain on Thursday and were almost certain to face the brunt of the storms expected to hit the course yesterday afternoon.

"We had a great end of the draw and the weather this morning was great," said Mickelson after offsetting a bogey at the par-5 13th with a birdie at the par-3 17th to trail compatriot Ricky Barnes by seven shots.

"I can't believe the storm's coming in. Hopefully it will stay away, but the conditions right now couldn't be better.

"I like the position I'm in," the world No.2 added. "I struggled with the putter for the first round and a half and then I started to turn it around there in the end. I made some putts and I feel good with it. If I can get hot with the putter, I like my chances in the next two rounds."

Roared on by huge galleries at Bethpage, where he is playing his first major since his wife Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer last month, Mickelson was satisfied with his form from tee to green.

"I've been hitting the ball well and my mid-irons have been close, giving me a lot of birdie opportunities," he said. "This is a very difficult golf course. It's long and the rough is very difficult. Just a few yards off the fairways in spots you can literally lose your ball or get an unplayable lie."

Mickelson, a three-times major winner who is hunting his first US Open title, said he was unconcerned with the scoring by his rivals on the brutal 7,426-yard Black Course.

"I don't really look too much in the US Open relative to what other players are doing, because it's just too easy for guys to make mistakes," he said. "Once you start coming back, you just come all the way back. I just know that around par is going to be a good score. This year it very well may be under par.

"But it's only a birdie here or there that gets me right back in it. So I'm not really worried about other players as much as I am about keeping myself under par."

Earlier, Barnes completed a bogey-free round of 65 to grab a one-stroke lead over fellow-American Lucas Glover. Barnes, the 2002 US Amateur champion who posted an opening three-under 67 on Friday, came back yesterday morning to birdie three of the nine holes he had left in his second round for an eight-under-par aggregate of 132.

Ross Fisher closed on a high with a birdie at the ninth for a four-birdie, two-bogey 68 that moved him to two under par at halfway.

Oliver Wilson recorded his second consecutive round of 70 to reach the third round at level par, as did Sergio Garcia, while Adam Scott was on the same mark following a 71.

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy improved his score by two shots from the first round for a 70 to get to two over, but anyone lower down the leaderboard had work to do if they were to finish within 10 strokes of the lead at eight under or within the top 60 and ties to survive the halfway cut.

Scotland's Martin Laird, who shot a first-round 75, finished at five over for the week after a one-over 71, but world No.3 Paul Casey of England, a three-time winner this year, carded bogeys at the second and fourth yesterday to slip to seven over.

England's Justin Rose finished his second round at eight over following a 75. Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland posted a 76 to fall to 10 over, while South Africa's Ernie Els finished with a 77 to complete a miserable week at 15 over par.

Defending champion Woods, who shot a four-over 74 in Thursday's rain-suspended opening round, began his second round 12 shots back. Woods, who won the US 2002 Open at Bethpage, parred his first hole.

Glover, who led by one shot when play was called off on Friday due to failing light, returned to birdie one of his five remaining holes and registered six-under-par 64 for 133.

Canadian Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters winner who led the first round after his opening 64, posted 70 for 134.

The other half of the 156-man field, including Woods, followed the earlier wave of players onto the course to begin their second round. More bad weather was forecast with another heavy rain storm expected to hit Long Island during the afternoon.

US Open chief Jim Hyler will be hoping for the smallest possible numbers of golfers making the cut as he tries to get the championship finished as close to on time as possible.

A further loss of playing time is likely to extend the playing of the regulation 72 holes into tomorrow, regardless of the need for an 18-hole play-off and with US Open championship rules providing for a 36-hole cut of the 156-man field to the low 60 scorers and ties and any player within 10 strokes of the leader, that could mean a long backlog of rounds to be played.

"We'll play all the golf we possibly can," said Hyler, USGA vice-president and chairman of its championship committee. "Obviously if we get hit with that kind of rain, that will severely impact our plans. But if we get lucky on the weather, maybe somehow we dodge a lot of that.

"There is a chance that we could finish round two (on Saturday]. I think beyond that, anything would be pure speculation, just based on the forecast and also the size of the cut."

As the early second round starters reached the halfway mark in their rounds going into yesterday's play, more than 100 players would survive under the 10-shot rule, within distance of Weir and Glover's overnight lead at five under par.

"If we had a small cut, say 60 or low 60s, we'd have more flexibility than if we had 100 people making the cut," Hyler said. "So I think any speculation beyond tomorrow, that is what it is, speculation."