Phil Mickelson didn’t make a bogey over his first nine holes Thursday at The Open, assisted by a hole-out par save at the third.
The 2013 Open champion hit his tee shot into a greenside bunker on the 167-yard, par 3 hole. After leaving his second shot in there, he holed his third.
That was part of a bogey-free, front-nine 34 at Royal Portrush, including birdies at the par-5 second and par-5 seventh. The 55-year-old was tied for the early lead, at 2 under, as he made the turn.
He quickly dropped down the leaderboard with bogeys on Nos. 11 and 14, but got back into red figures with a 20-foot birdie at the par-4 17th.
Mickelson posted a 1-under 70 and was tied for 10th when he signed his card. It was his first under-par round in The Open since Carnoustie in 2018.
Mickelson has missed the cut in five of his last seven Open starts since his runner-up finish to Henrik Stenson at Royal Troon in 2016. Mickelson’s Open triumph came at Muirfield, 12 years ago.