Phil Didn't Get Booed

First... in my defense, the incorrect times I included in yesterday's post came from GC's TV schedule and they were still incorrect Thursday when I doublechecked them after the broadcasts were already on. So scream at them! (I know I did, but I don't think they heard me.)

Anyway, when I turned on GC at 3:30 for the pregame show, Phil was finishing up his round and I got to see the final putt... for a 59! Here's the putt:



You gotta love Bones dying there on the 9th green. (Watch from the 1:20 mark. Bones is on the left, just behind Phil.) It's hard to believe the ball could make a 180 around the hole and stop so close without falling in.

Phil shot 60 back in 2005 at the WM Phoenix Open and won, which should bode well for him. You'll note that the graphics say this 60 ties his career low, but he did shoot a 59 at the Grand Slam of Golf a few years ago. (He had a putt for 58 at that one.) I guess the PGA doesn't count the GSoG as an official tournament. I know I don't count it in my stats.

Here's Phil's complete scorecard for the first round. Not bad for a guy who couldn't make anything at Torrey:

I guess I should mention that Phil credited his good play to a new driver he put in the bag this week. It's Callaway’s new RAZR Fit Xtreme driver that he says he can hit with his iron swing -- I assume he means he can hit down on it instead of trying to sweep the ball off the tee -- and it flies pretty straight. Here's the quote, from this PGATOUR.com article:

"This driver spins so low that I can have more loft on the club, making it easier to hit," Mickelson said. "It really could be a revolutionary club for me."

If you want more details on the driver, check this golfchannel.com article.

In the meantime, we'll see if Phil can keep it going. He's already 4 strokes ahead of anybody else. If he keeps on like this, he may avoid getting booed all week.