Phil Mickelson: Desert Classic 60 surprised even himself

Phil Mickelson might have said he was feeling a bit “rusty” ahead of his 2019 opener at the Desert Classic, but it’s safe to say he even surprised himself a bit with a career record-tying round of 60 to take the early lead.

All the so-called experts who have been writing off Phil Mickelson got a shock today. A 60 on his card at the Desert Classic. Yes, that’s right. Six. Oh.

To be honest, Mickelson was surprised about it, but as we all have seen since 1991, the man is capable of shooting anything.

“I really didn’t think that this was going to be a day that I was going to go low. I came in with very low expectations,” Phil Mickelson said to media after his first round at the Desert Classic. “I haven’t had a lot of time to practice and prepare, and I felt like all areas were okay, but you never really know until you get out and you play and compete.”

Well, guess what. His game was ready, even if he wasn’t.

He said he got lucky on a couple less than stellar shots. At the second, he pulled the tee shot left and was fortunate not to be out of bounds on the tight La Quinta CC course. Another errant shot on the fifth landed in a neighboring fairway.

“It’s easy to make big mistakes, and I was able to get away with the one or two poor swings,” he added. “And then I putted phenomenal.”

When he got to the 16th, he started thinking about 59. The last three holes are par fours. He had a four-footer for birdie on the 16th, which he converted.

“I was giving it all I had, and I had a good chance,” Mickelson added.

On the 17th hole, he had an 18-footer for birdie which we was not able to roll in, so his 59 was spoiled, but it didn’t stop him from getting the 60 with a birdie at the last hole.

“That’s not an easy hole for me, that shot, the way it sits along the water. I hit a good shot in there, made a nice putt,” he said.

In all he birdied the first, second and fifth. Then he eagled the sixth and birdied the ninth for 30 on the front nine. On the back side, he birdied the 10th, 11th, 13th, 14th, 16th and 18th.

When asked how shooting 60 in the first round affected the rest of the week, Mickelson made it sound like the situation was problematic.

“It’s very difficult to start a round and go low like this and then follow it up because the expectations are anything short of a victory is a failure,” he explained. “We have three full rounds on some challenging golf courses with a lot of potential birdies. So, it’s a tough position to be in, but it’s one that I thoroughly enjoy.”

As to where this low round came from, Mickelson credited some of the success to the amount of rest he has had in the off season.

“I think that’s the big key is that my excitement level of playing and competing and my fresh attitude after having a few months after allowed me to be really focused throughout the round,” he explained. He added that he was able to picture the shots he wanted to hit.

It didn’t hurt that he stayed with his workouts in the off season.

“I felt stronger, my speed is starting to come back, I’m starting to hit the ball pretty good distance now, and I’ve been putting really well now the last few years,” he said. “I felt like heading into 2019, if I can drive the ball longer, then I won’t have to worry about that, I can start trying to hit little cuts in the fairway and make some putts like I’ve been doing.”

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He hopes it is a sign of more good things to come in 2019.

The course conditions, damped by uncharacteristic rain in the desert area, slowed the greens a touch, but according to Mickelson, it also beat down any imperfections in the putting surfaces.

As far as what’s ahead for Mickelson this season, he’s been on the fence about entering the Farmer’s Insurance Open because of the length of the course.

“Quite honestly I just wasn’t sure I would be ready for a golf course that long and hard,” he said. “That’s one of the hardest courses we play. It’s 7,600 yards. Fairways are tight. There’s a lot of rough and it’s, unless I’m playing my absolute best, that’s not really a great place for me.”

Mickelson had said after the debacle at the 2018 U.S. Open that he was just not going to play courses that weren’t good for his game at this point in his career. And he repeated the same sentiments after the recent Ryder Cup.

Next. Justin Rose speaks on new equipment deal, outlook for 2019. dark

When asked how shooting 60 in the first round affected the rest of the week, Phil Mickelson actually said it was somewhat problematic.

Oh, if only we all had the problems that Phil Mickelson has. Set your DVRs, everybody. This is going to be appointment television.

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