Thursday 18 June 2015 22:46, UK
Phil Mickelson insisted he was "pretty pleased" with his opening 69 at the US Open despite failing to build on a bright start at Chambers Bay.
The crowd favourite, desperate to complete a career Grand Slam of majors at the tournament he has been a runner-up in six times, took advantage of benign early conditions to birdie the third, fifth and eighth to turn three under.
Mickelson three-putted the 10th before getting the shot straight back at 11, but his decision to lay-up at the driveable 12th backfired as he made only a par, and he found sand twice at the next and dropped back to two under.
More bunker trouble at 14 led to another bogey, but he parred in to stay under the card and he was satisfied with his position as well as his form after the first day.
"I played well," Mickelson said. "I had a really nice round going and then made bogey on 13 and 14. I think the 13th is the hardest approach shot into the green. I did not leave myself the best shot and was way too far back and then made a good bogey on the next.
"(But) no complaints. I'm under par in the first round of the US Open and I am pretty pleased.
"I thought it was a very fair test. The set-up was good. I think everyone in the field is going to struggle with three to eight-foot putts when they are downhill because you can't hit it hard enough to hold the line and there is a lot of wiggle.
"The first round was the round I was going to be most nervous at, getting started. You don't want to have to fight to come back all the time. You want to get off to a solid start around par.
"I'm very pleased with the way the round went."
