PHIL MICKELSON NARROWLY missed out on shooting a round of 59 at the Desert Classic, but the five-time Major winner was happy to settle for a career-low 60 on Thursday.
Mickelson flirted with a first sub-60 score with a masterful display at La Quinta Country Club, before ultimately firing a 12-under par first round to seize control of the PGA Tour event.
The 48-year-old, playing his first round of 2019, produced a flawless masterclass, starting the day birdie-birdie and then going birdie-eagle to move to five-under par.
He picked up another shot on the ninth to go out in a six-under 30, and at the turn birdied four of the first five holes on the back nine.
Mickelson — who was vying to become just the 11th player in PGA Tour history to shoot a sub-60 score — walked off the 18th green with a four-shot lead over Curtis Luck and Adam Long.
“It was kind of a lucky day for me in the sense that I did not feel sharp heading in,” he said afterwards.
“I haven’t really had the intense practice sessions that I would like, but I felt that all parts were okay and it just clicked. Sometimes you have days where it just clicks. Bad shots that I hit, I got away with it… It was a fun day, but I certainly did not expect this to be the case.”
10 birdies.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 17, 2019
7 pars.
1 eagle.
0 bogeys.
A masterpiece from @PhilMickelson. 👍#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/WLfbMubxU0
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