by Jeff Skinner
Sometimes it’s impossible to figure this game out. Phil Mickelson shows up at Quail Hollow fresh off of two bags of intravenous fluids and really had it going for awhile and Tiger Woods brought his finely tuned temple of a body on the course and proceeded to spray it all over the place.
Mickelson had it to four under on the 15th but fatigue caught up with him and he bogeyed the last two holes for a two under 70. Phil is battling a bug that has him dehydrated and weak. He’s not too concerned about it and has a history of playing well when he is less than one hundred per cent. He won at Torrey Pines in 2001 when he was sick. “The last two times I’ve fainted and woken up in a pool of vomit, I’ve won,” Mickelson said. “Laying there on the floor wondering where I am, a good omen came over me… I may have run out of a little bit of energy there toward the end, but I did hit some good shots and was able to shoot a decent round for the first round,” Mickelson said.
Tiger had no such excuse for his poor showing. He was all over the course all day and his Army golf left him with a two over 74 which could easily been a 76 or worse. “I didn’t hit the ball very good at all today,” said Woods. “I had a two-way miss with everything. Two balls in the water. Pretty much struggled all day.” He hit only four fairways and spent time in the trees again. He was so frustrated by his game he didn’t even go to the practice range afterward. “Sometimes when I shoot a high round, I put the clubs away — or break a few, I’m just going to let it go today. I’m not going to the range. Hell with it.”
Bo Van Pelt shot a bogey free, seven birdie round of 65 on the tough Quail Hollow course to lead Kenny Perry by one.
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