Graeme McDowell on top as Phil Mickelson provides fireworks in Saudi Arabia
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Thursday 30 January 2020 16:33, UK
Graeme McDowell earned a share of the lead as Phil Mickelson reminded the golfing community that he remains one of the world's most exciting players on day one of the Saudi International.
McDowell birdied the final three holes at the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club to cap a six-under 64 and join Gavin Green on top of the leaderboard, while playing-partner Mickelson provided huge entertainment with a barrage of birdies atoning for some early mistakes in his 66.
Mickelson made seven birdies on the back-nine alone, but world No 1 Brooks Koepka found the inward half tougher going as he stumbled home in 37 to close on level par, while Dustin Johnson made a solid start in his defence of the title as he opened with a five-birdie 67.
Former Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Green set the early target in the clubhouse, the Malaysian carding four birdies in five holes from the sixth before faltering with bogeys at 12 and 14, but he regrouped and birdied the 16th and 17th to return to six under.
McDowell was the only player to match Green's early score, although he would have been targeting something closer to 60 when he followed a par at the first with four consecutive birdies, but his bid for the lead was stifled by a run of five pars and then his first blemish of the day at the 11th.
But he got back on the birdie trail immediately, and his rousing finish hauled him back to the summit as the 40-year-old hunts for his first European Tour victory since his successful defence at the Open de France back in July, 2014.
"It was nice to get out of there with six under par because I felt like I played great today," said the 2010 US Open champion. "It would have been a horrible round to let get away but to finish birdie-birdie-birdie was nice.
"I was just feeding off Phil finishing with seven birdies on the back nine. It was 'Phil the thrill' out there and it was fun to watch him and fun to play with him.
"Playing well in these conditions is really just about trying to stay patient. Hang tough, hit fairways, hit greens and obviously being a good putter helps as well - be able to clean up any mistakes you make."
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Former Open champion Henrik Stenson leads the chasing pack after the Swede returned a 65 featuring six birdies and a lone dropped shot, with Venezuelan powerhouse Jhonattan Vegas joining a five-way tie for third place late in the day.
There is a strong English presence in the top 10 as Andy Sullivan, Ross Fisher, Aaron Rai and Tom Lewis all fired 66s, a score that looked an unlikely prospect for Mickelson when he double-bogeyed the second.
The veteran left-hander remained two over at the turn after mixing two birdies with as many bogeys, but he provided the late-afternoon fireworks with his remarkable run of scoring in an inward 29 - his first on the European Tour - that contained only one par.
Mickelson, who is missing this week's Phoenix Open for the first time in 30 years, started the back-nine with three straight birdies, gave a shot back at the 13th, and responded with another run of three birdies in a row before shaving the hole for another at 17 following a trademark wayward drive that he was able to locate after hitting a provisional.
A ninth birdie of the round at the par-five closing hole was a mere formality as Mickelson ended the day just two off the lead, while last week's Dubai Desert Classic champion Lucas Herbert showed no ill-effects from his post-victory hangover as he fired a 67 to join Johnson on three under par.
That was three shots better than star-draw Koepka, who got off to a steady start before three birdies in five holes saw him turn in 33, but his form dipped over the closing stretch as he bogeyed the 12th, 16th and 17th in a disappointing 70.
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