Some big shoes to Phil
SAN DIEGO — Even with expectations as high as ever, Phil Mickelson wants to play it safe.
He rarely has been this excited to start a PGA Tour season, and for good reason. Mickelson discovered his putting touch at the end of last year and is more confident than ever with his driver. He had to rein in those emotions when he teed off at Torrey Pines for his first competition since beating Tiger Woods and a world-class field in Shanghai more than two months ago.
The South Course, strong enough to have hosted a U.S. Open, was no place to be careless.
Mickelson picked up birdies on all of the par 5s and wound up with a 2-under 70 at the Farmers Insurance Open, which put him in a tie for 40th and in a good frame of mind going into today's round on the easier North Course.
"It was cautious," he said. "I was anxious to get started. I didn't want to fire at pins and make a bunch of mistakes. I believe the North Course will be a good opportunity to try to go low."
This is an important week for Mickelson, and for the PGA Tour.
The talk on tour continues to revolve around Tiger Woods, from the shocking revelations of his infidelity to the mystery of his whereabouts to speculation on when he might return.
Now that Mickelson is back inside the ropes, there is hope that he can help fill the void created by Woods' indefinite break. That he started off with a solid round on the South Course left him pleased. He was six shots behind Scott Piercy, who played the North Course Thursday and shot 64, and only three behind the best score on the South Course, a bogey-free 67 by Robert Allenby.
Mickelson, however, has been quick to dismiss the notion that he could replace Woods.
"Nobody will be able to ... fill the shoes," he said on the eve of the tournament.
The opening round offered some evidence of that. Mickelson is wildly popular in these parts, having grown up in San Diego, and his appeal extends beyond the Pacific bluffs that frame the edge of Torrey Pines. If fans were in awe of Woods, they adored Mickelson. Lefty was easy to cheer, and fans flocked to him the way they once did for Fred Couples and Greg Norman.
But there was some energy lacking Thursday at Torrey Pines, just as there was a year ago when Woods couldn't play because he was recovering from knee surgery. The gallery chasing after Mickelson scurried along the cart paths ahead of him, although it never topped 750 people and no one had to jostle for a good view.
Attribute most of that to the day of the week. Crowds rarely are large during the weekdays at the Farmers Insurance Open. The real measure will be on the weekend, especially if the weather is gorgeous, and Mickelson is in the hunt.
Today will be a big day for him to do that.
