SAN DIEGO – Phil Mickelson declared himself good to go Friday in the Farmers Insurance Open, saying his back felt “much better” after a night of treatment.
Mickelson’s back locked up during Thursday’s opening 3-under 69 at Torrey Pines, and he was unsure if he would be able to continue in his hometown event.
On Thursday, Mickelson said he was hopeful that he could keep playing but “didn’t want to do anything stupid here,” especially since he’s playing the second of four events in a row.
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Mickelson arrived on property at 9:15 a.m. local time Friday, more than an hour before his tee time, to begin warming up, and he showed no ill effects. While working through his bag, he neither grimaced nor grabbed his left side, which had given him trouble during the opening round.
Based on his 45-minute warm-up, Mickelson seemed most concerned with his driver. He lost several drives to the left, when he was unable to power through the ball, and he even briefly adjusted his driver head to correct the issue. Afterward, he headed for five minutes of physical therapy before going to the practice putting green.
He was scheduled to tee off on the more difficult South Course at 10:30 a.m. local time, with Bubba Watson and Jason Day.