Phil Mickelson shoots ‘heartbreaking’ 63 at British Open
By Brad Weiss
Phil Mickelson has not won a golf tournament in three years, but his 63 in the opening round of the 2016 British Open was a nice start.
The 145th British Open kicked off on Thursday, with the biggest names in golf looking to capture the third major of the year. The day belonged to Phil Mickelson, who shot an incredible 63 on the day, but he left the course heartbroken despite missing a major-record 62 by one stroke.
His birdie putt on 18 looked to be right on, but turned at the last second and lipped out.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Mickelson said during the telecast after his round. “As great a round as this was, I’m not going to have a chance to do something historical like that again.”
Despite the lip out on 18, it was indeed a historic day for Lefty, who set the record for the lowest round ever at Royal Troon Golf Club, the site of this year’s event. His round beat the previous record of 64, which was accomplished by Greg Norman in 1989 and Tiger Woods in 1997.
The 46-year old Mickelson finished the round 8-under par, giving him a three-shot lead over Patrick Reed and Martin Kaymer. In his last round before the Open, he shot a 66 at the Scottish Open, so he felt like he was ready to make a charge at his sixth Major title.
“My game certainly feels better after today’s round where I had a good score,” Mickelson said after his final round at the Scottish Open. “But it also helped me identify some areas where I need to work on for next week, this week did.”
The weather played a big factor in the field going low on Thursday, but nasty weather is expected Friday morning when Mickelson tees off for his second round. There are three rounds remaining between Mickelson and his second Claret Jug, so he just needs to stay consistent and put himself in position to win on Sunday.
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