Phil Mickelson’s bid to complete a career Grand Slam got off to a perfect start as the 115th US Open got under way at Chambers Bay on Thursday.
After missing the green on the first hole, which was playing as a long par four in the opening round, Mickelson displayed his renowned short game skills by pitching to within inches of the hole to save par.
The American has finished runner-up a record six times in the US Open, the one tournament he needs to win to become the sixth player to complete a career Grand Slam.
Mickelson, who celebrated his 45th birthday on Tuesday, missed a good birdie chance on the second but made no such mistake on the par three third, holing from 20 feet to move to one under par.
He then carded his second birdie of the day from six feet on the fifth and, having missed from just three feet on the next, made light work of the par five eighth to lead on three under par.
That was one ahead of his US Ryder Cup team-mates Patrick Reed and Dustin Johnson, as well as Australia’s former Masters winner Adam Scott.
World Number One Rory McIlroy, former Race to Dubai winner Henrik Stenson and French pair Victor Dubuisson and Alex Levy were among those leading the European challenge on one under.
Mickelson dropped his first shot of the day by three-putting the tenth from long range following a poor approach from a fairway bunker, but bounced straight back with a birdie from 12 feet on the next.
McIlroy had also found trouble in sand to drop shots on the 14th and 15th, but pitched to five feet to birdie the 16th and missed a good chance on the 17th after an excellent tee shot to a treacherous pin position.
