The Associated Press
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—Rickie Fowler overcame some bad shots for a share of the lead yesterday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Phil Mickelson compounded his mistakes and fell back.
After an hour-long frost delay at chilly TPC Scottsdale, Fowler played the first six holes in five-under.
A group behind, Mickelson took the lead at five-under with a birdie on his eighth hole.
While Fowler finished with a six-under 65 to tie Shane Lowry and Hideki Matsuyama for the lead in the suspended first round, Mickelson had a 69 after dropping four strokes in a two-hole stretch.
“I made some good putts to start,” Fowler noted. “Just kind of got everything going.
“Made a couple of bad swings,” he added. “Cost me a little bit.
“But other than that, nice way to get off to a good start.”
Mickelson bogeyed the par-three fourth, then unravelled with a triple-bogey on the par-four fifth.
“I hit a bad shot at the wrong time,” he said.
“[But] I’m not going to dwell on the one bad one because there were really a lot of good ones.”
Winless in 48 events since the 2013 British Open, the 45-year-old former Arizona State player is working with swing coach Andrew Getson after splitting with Butch Harmon.
“Lefty” tied for third two weeks ago at La Quinta in his season debut and then missed the cut last week at Torrey Pines.
“When you don’t score as low as you feel like you’re playing, it can be frustrating,” admitted Mickelson, the tournament winner in 1996, 2005, and 2013.
“But for me, I find it to be more encouraging that I’m making a lot of birdies.”
Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask. was tied at 84th at one-over 72.
Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin, both from Abbotsford, B.C., were tied at 101st at two-over 73 while David Hearn of Brantford, Ont. was tied at 115th after shooting a three-over 74 yesterday.
