HOYLAKE, England — Defending champion Phil Mickelson shot a 2-over-par 74, playing in the afternoon wind, but came away saying he felt better about his game than he has in the last year.
Mickelson’s round finished with a bogey on the par-5 18th, where his approach shot sailed out of bounds to the right of the fairway, forcing him to reload. He ended up making a 20-foot putt to save bogey.
“This is the best I’ve hit it in over a year,’’ Mickelson said. “I had as much control over the golf ball as I’ve had in a long time — whether it was working cuts into the wind, draws into the wind, shots off the tee. Certainly the score [stinks], but my game is as good as it’s been in a long time.
“I know that this wasn’t a great score, but this is as encouraged as I’ve been since last year’s Open Championship. I hit a lot of tremendous shots today, and even though the score is not reflective of it, I feel it’s about to turn. Maybe tomorrow. It could be a week, it could be a month, but it’s going to happen soon.’’
It was a big day for Italy at Royal Liverpool.
Matteo Manassero (5-under) and brothers Edoardo and Francesco Molinari (both 4-under) combined to shoot 13-under par. Manassero is one shot off the lead held by Rory McIlroy.
“It’s fantastic, very good for Italian golf,’’ Manassero said of the Italian success. “We got off to a fast start, all of us. And when you’ve got three, you don’t have only one, [so] there is more chances they’re going to stay up until Sunday. And it’s going to be wonderful to have a few Italians up there on Sunday afternoon. It’s going to be fun, if there is.’’
Henrik Stenson had the temper tantrum of the day, snapping an iron over his knee in frustration after he failed to hit a shot out of the high grass on the 17th hole. He did however, calmly hand the two pieces to his caddie as they walked to the green. “My gap wedge is going to need a little love after lunch,’’ Stenson joked after finishing with a 72.
Bryden MacPherson, a 23-year-old from Australia, had the poor round of the day, having to rally with pars on his final four holes to shoot 90.
In his only other Open, 2011 at Royal St. Georges, he missed the cut shooting 71-73 as an amateur.
Jim Furyk, who had not broken par in last 15 rounds at Open, shot a 4-under 68 playing alongside Ryder Cup captain and five-time British Open winner Tom Watson, who shot 73.
“I’ve been with him in three rounds over the last five days,’’ said Furyk, who last weekend played with Watson at Gleneagles, where the Ryder Cup will be staged in September. “It’s pretty impressive. He didn’t hit it as well as he did with me on Sunday and Monday, but I was impressed with his putting; from 10 feet in was pretty solid.
“He scrapped it around and kind of kept himself around and kind of kept himself in the hunt. It was fun to see. We should all be so lucky at 64, I’ll say that.’’
Furyk, who’s 44, fits the recent Open champion profile as the last three winners — Mickelson, Els and Darren Clarke — were in their 40s.
Justin Rose, one of the bookmakers favorites to win this week, shot 72 and said, “Even par always feels like a waste of five hours.’’
Rose “misplaced’’ his driver, which he ended up having delivered to him during the round, on the third hole. One of his caddie’s friends accidentally took Rose’s driver.
“It was a bit of a comedic start to the day,’’ Rose said. “It somehow got put in a car down to Bedford, and was returned promptly. Fortunately it didn’t affect the game plan. I was just trying to get it here by the 7th [hole].’’