WGC-Mexico Championship: Mickelson and Westwood at the top
By Tyler Duke
A look at the action from the WGC-Mexico Championship, where Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood are at the top after Thursday
The second and third-oldest players in the field were up to the challenge in the first round with a pair of 4-under-par 67’s. Sharing the lead with four others in the WGC-Mexico Championship, Lee Westwood and Phil Mickelson took advantage of a course that emphasizes creative shot-making and positioning over power.
Westwood, who is ranked 49th in the world, has progressively slipped down the world golf rankings since his runner-up finish in The Masters last year put him in the top 35. He hasn’t played in the U.S. since the PGA Championship, but he’s been in solid form overseas so far in 2017. His eight birdies on Thursday led the field.
Mickelson has had just one top 10 since his runner-up finish in the British Open last season, a tie for eighth at the Safeway Open late in 2016. He closed with a strong bogey-free 33 on his back, including a 16-foot birdie on the 18th to tie the lead.
World No. 1 struggles with the putter
Dustin Johnson’s first appearance as the world’s No. 1 golfer began well with back-to-back easy birdies on the opening two holes, but his putter quickly failed him as the round went on. Johnson made bogies on his fourth and fifth holes with both par putts from less than 4 feet slipping by. After getting both strokes back with two birdies on his front nine, he sailed a tee shot out of bounds on the first hole — his tenth of the day — and then missed another putt from 3 1/2 feet, giving him a double bogey. Johnson missed six putts from less than 6 feet in the round. Thanks to a tremendous ball-striking day, the defending U.S. Open Champion still managed a respectable 1-under-par 70.
McIlroy returns
After a fractured rib sidelined him for the last seven weeks, the third-ranked golfer in the world made his return on Thursday in Mexico City. Playing just three times since winning the FedEx Cup at the Tour Championship, McIlroy looks as dominant as ever with five top 10s in his last six starts. With 14 pars on Thursday, his round was mostly uneventful, but a late eagle putt from 28 feet on his 15th hole pushed McIlroy up to 3-under — putting him in a tie for seventh place, just one shot off the lead.
Other notable scores
- Jon Rahm: T1, -4
- Sergio Garcia T7, -3
- Justin Thomas T14, -2
- Rickie Fowler T14, -2
- Justin Rose T20, -1
- Jordan Spieth T28, E
- Hideki Matsuyama T41, +1
- Bubba Watson T47, +2
- Adam Scott T47, +2
- Henrik Stenson WD