Garcia, Spieth share lead at Colonial, Mickelson struggles
Garcia and Spieth grabbed a share of the lead at the US PGA Tour's Charles Schwab Challenge.
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Sergio Garcia and Jordan Spieth grabbed a share of the lead at the US PGA Tour s Charles Schwab Challenge on Thursday as Phil Mickelson was brought back to earth just days after his record-breaking major win.
Garcia picked up five strokes in a four-hole span to join Spieth at the top of the leaderboard after both men carded seven-under-par 63s.
The Spaniard, who lifted the trophy at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2001, followed birdies at eight, nine and 10 with an eagle hole-out from a bunker at 11 to surge up the leaderboard.
He finished with five birdies in all, tying Spieth for the lead when he rolled in a seven-footer at the 15th.
"I m not going to lie, conditions weren t easy," Garcia said. "Obviously because of the rain, the course wasn t too firm, even though it firmed up nicely between yesterday and today.
"There were some tough holes out there, but I was able to hit really good shots on those holes, and a couple up-and-downs when I needed them, so very happy with the way it went," added Garcia, who ended
Spieth had set an early target with seven birdies in a bogey-free effort.
The Texan, who ended a near four-year victory drought with a win at the Teas Open in April, has seven to-10 finishes in his last 10 starts and looked right at home on the par-70 Colonial course where he won in 2016.
"It s hard to go any lower," Spieth said, adding that some work to rectify "bad habits" that had crept into his putting stroke had paid off.
He rolled in a 12-footer at his opening hole, the 10th, and said that was a key confidence builder.
"If I could get a couple to go in early in the first round and the confidence and the work I ve been doing on my stroke the last few days, which is a somewhat significant change in a stroke feel, I thought that would exude just a little bit of confidence into the rest of the round on greens where I ve been very successful on before," he said.
He added a nine-footer at the 12th and a 19-footer at 17 to make the turn three-under.
After a birdie at the second he finished with a flourish with birdies at his last three holes.
That included a chip-in from the rough at the eighth and a crisp wedge that left him a three-foot birdie putt at the ninth.
The leading duo were two strokes in front of Erik Compton and Jason Kokrak.
Compton, who has had two heart transplants, is playing on a sponsor s exemption and making just his third PGA tour start since 2016.
- Mickelson struggles -
Spieth played alongside Mickelson, who made history on Sunday by winning the PGA Championship to become, at 50, the oldest man to win a major golf title.
Mickelson endured a tough day with five bogeys in his three-over 73.
"I didn t play well. I shot three-over," Mickelson said, adding: "but I won the PGA, so ..."
On a more serious note, Mickelson said, he had trouble settling into the round.
"So it was almost like I was trying a little too hard, and I wasn t just calm and let it happen, and I was a little bit antsy," he said. "I ll work on it. I m still optimistic I ll have a good round tomorrow, but unfortunately I kind of shot myself in the foot the first day, but you never know."
Despite his struggles, Mickelson was met by a chorus of congratulations from fans.
"It feels incredible because it s been a long time since somebody has congratulated me for my play," he said. "That s a moment, that s a week, that s a tournament, that s a win that I ll cherish forever, so I enjoy when people say that."
