UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. — Phil Mickelson stood on the 14th tee at Chambers Bay Golf Course, the longest par 4 in the 120-year history of the United States Open. On Thursday, the hole measured 528 yards, and Mickelson looked fidgety, twirling his driver in anticipation of his shot.
Mickelson had good reason to be uneasy. An hour earlier, halfway through his first round, he was leading the event at three under par. Since then, he had wobbled badly, with two bogeys sandwiched around a birdie and a par. He was descending to the bottom of the leaderboard, his swing suddenly more tenuous and his putting stroke more tentative.