Mickelson struggles from the start again

Phil Mickelson was having a bad day at The Olympic Club
14 June 2012

Phil Mickelson struggled from the off for a second straight year at the US Open as his opening drive was lost high up in the branches of a tree.

Mickelson began by losing a ball in the water last year, and his hopes of winning a US Open title took another early hit as he was made to make the long walk back to the tee. The Olympic Club is tough enough without that happening and, although he made birdie with his second ball, the left-hander started with three successive bogeys and was soon four over par.

Mickelson was playing with Tiger Woods and Bubba Watson and while Woods impressed with his ball-striking again to be level par after 12 holes, Masters champion Watson was another really struggling as he slipped to five over and eight behind the early leader, fellow American Jason Bohn.

Bohn, twice a winner on the PGA Tour and with a round of 58 to his name on the Canadian circuit, birdied the first, seventh and 11th in a dream start to only his second US Open.

That put him one ahead of another qualifier, Michael Thompson, and Spain's Dubai Desert Classic winner Rafael Cabrera-Bello.

Scot Marc Warren - playing in his first major at the age of 31 - kicked off with a birdie on the 449-yard ninth and remained part of the group on one under after seven holes.

Dubliner Padraig Harrington was alongside him, but then ran up a double bogey seven at the monstrous 670-yard 16th, the longest hole in major history.

Harrington did hit straight back with his third birdie of the day, however, and at level par was on the same mark as not only Woods, but also England's Robert Rock.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood were among the later starters, with organisers having decided to put the world's top three in the same group for the second year running.

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