Here’s everything you need to know about Phil Mickelson’s first round at the 2021 PGA Championship on Thursday. Given his underwhelming score of 79, he had to leave the contest before it ended. The 54-year-old golfer, renowned for his exceptional short-game skills, struggled throughout the round, notably taking four strokes to escape the sand trap on No. 6. This performance is the latest and most notable low point in Mickelson’s career trajectory. In all, he’s now gone eight straight majors without a top 10 since his 2023 PGA Championship title at Oak Hill. This streak is the longest of his career.
As Mickelson faced early elimination, Xander Schauffele managed to keep his cut streak alive, albeit narrowly. Schauffele played his last 11 holes in 4-under and survived the cut line at 1-over 143. This is quite an achievement too, as it brings his remarkable streak to 64 consecutive tournaments, showing just how consistent he’s been on the PGA Tour.
Like Spieth, Rory McIlroy lived to play the weekend, signing for a final-day 71 that left him at even-par. Rory McIlroy had a disastrous end to his round, double-bogeying the 17th and bogeying the 18th. Even with that mistake, though, he was safe into the tournament.
Ludvig Åberg, the top favorite coming into the event, found it difficult to keep up with his hot start. After an opening round 70, he withdrew after an ugly second round 75 and missed the cut. Shane Lowry was in the same boat, posting 73-71 to miss by one shot. Lowry’s bid took a hit with a costly bogey on No. 8.
Justin Thomas came into the tournament with a whole lot of momentum but was unable to turn that into a big week. He was one of six top-10 players to miss the cut, joining Lowry and Sepp Straka. Those early departures of an inordinate number of these highly-ranked players have left fans and analysts scratching their heads.
In reflecting on his round, Lowry lamented some missed opportunities but was proud of the way he finished on the last five holes.
“I feel like I’ve played the last two holes beautifully and gave myself two lovely chances,” – Shane Lowry
He was even so sure of himself that he said he didn’t believe he had to birdie the last hole to remain in the tournament. Instead, he implied that 2-over would be sufficient to save his job.
As the tournament unfolds, perhaps no golfer will be under as much scrutiny if not hostility as Schauffele. They’ll be watching equally as closely to see if Mickelson can make a resurgence in subsequent tournaments. Even the best players in the world – whether it’s McIlroy, Åberg, or any other top players – will be coming under fierce scrutiny. They are hungry to capitalize on their chances in future rounds.
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