Golf: Johnson puts Mickelson in the shade

PHIL MICKELSON put the wedge controversy behind him but his bid for a third successive Northern Trust Open victory got off to a slow start at Riviera Country Club near Los Angeles.

After 11 holes of his first round at the par-71 Riviera, the world No.2 was three under par, four shots behind clubhouse leader and fellow American Dustin Johnson.

Mickelson's round began to fall apart from there, however, with bogeys at the par-four 12th and 15th holes and then the par-three 16th as the left-hander fell back to level par. There was more woe as Mickelson, who had opened with a 63 in 2009, also bogeyed the par-four 18th to leave him with a one-over 72, eight shots behind Johnson.

The early-starting Johnson fired a seven-under 64 to lead by a stroke from Argentina's Andres Romero.

Of the afternoon starters in Pacific Palisades, Kevin Stadler got off to a fast start at six under after eight holes on his way to a 65 to leave him in joint second.

England's Luke Donald, Japanese teenager Ryo Ishikawa, former world number one David Duval and veterans Scott Verplank and Jesper Parnevik were all part of a group on three under.

• EDINBURGH-BASED Richie Ramsay and Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie were the leading Scots going into today's second round of the Dubai Desert Classic.

As defending champion Rory McIlroy shot a four-under-par 68 to figure in a six-way tie for the lead, Ramsay, who'd suffered an injury scare on the eve of the first round, and Montgomerie both shot 71s to lie in a tie for 19th.

Dunbar's David Drysdale was a shot behind them thanks to a last-hole birdie, while Stephen Gallacher bagged an eagle at the 18th as he finished was alongside fellow Scots Gary Orr and Paul Lawrie on one-over.

• LLOYD SALTMAN shared third place in the Hi5 Pro Tour's Valle del Este Open in Murcia, Spain. The Archerfield pro, who led after day one but saw his title hopes dashed with a second round 77, signed off with a three-under 68 for a four-under 209 and finished alongside triple European Tour champion Miguel Angel Martin.

Saltman, who highlighted his round with an eagle-three at the tenth, came in six strokes behind runaway winner Alex Belt, who cruised to a five-shot victory with a 70 for 203. Elliot Saltman closed with a 69 and tied for fifth on 210 while younger brother Zack trudged in with a 78 for 240.