World No. 3 Phil Mickelson was in a positive mood despite shooting a 2-over-par 73 in the opening round of the Singapore Open yesterday with the American buoyed by a late revival after a disastrous start.
Teeing off on a damp morning where play was eventually delayed for two hours due to lightning, the globe-trotting Mickelson mixed four bogeys and a birdie over his opening six holes to slip to three over par.
Three birdies coming in, offset by back-to-back bogeys from his 15th hole, helped Mickelson climb up the leaderboard to finish his round six shots behind local hope Lam Chih Bing, who fired a sparkling 67 to stake an early lead.
"I know 2-over par does not sound good but I will actually take it," Mickelson told reporters at the US$5 million event. "I got off to a terrible start and was three over early. I did very well to recover."
As one of a number of big international names lured to the Asian Tour's richest national open, Mickelson was pleased to escape with his 2-over total, considering he was out on the course when the weather was at its most hostile.
"The conditions are calm and beautiful now but when we were playing, it was windy and raining... a lot tougher," he added.
"I'll take my total. I need to get off to a good start tomorrow (Friday) and make some birdies.
"I don't feel like I am out of the tournament by any means and I could be right back in it with a good round. Anything in the sixties will do."
Mickelson also praised the par-71 Serapong Course hosting the year's event and felt the tournament organizers had set up a fair yet challenging layout.
"The greens are just perfect," he added. "They were not soggy or wet (even after the rain). They have a system that sucks all the moisture out... it does and incredible job because the greens were immaculate."
In Japan, local schoolboy Ryo Ishikawa fired an opening 66 to get a head start on US Masters champion Trevor Immelman at the Taiheiyo Masters yesterday.
The 17-year-old, who won his first tournament as a professional earlier this month, reached the clubhouse three clear of South African Immelman in Shizuoka.
Ishikawa ignited his six-under-par round by draining a snaking 25-foot eagle putt on the 11th after starting his round on the 10th hole.
"The eagle got me going," Ishikawa told reporters. "It was kind of a bonus because I wasn't going for an eagle on that hole. I think I played even better than the score shows."
Fellow Japanese Shingo Katayama, known for his colorful cowboy hats and belts, shot a 67 for a share of second place with Yasuharu Imano.
Immelman, who won his first major title at Augusta National in April, returned a 69 in benign conditions against the backdrop of Japan's Mount Fuji.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily November 14, 2008)
