Mickelson leaves field in his wake

PHIL MICKELSON was in a league of his own in Atlanta yesterday as he produced the lowest 36-hole score of his 15-year US Tour career.

The defending champion added a 65 to his course record-equalling opening 63 and on the 16 under par mark of 128 held a massive seven-stroke lead over Jose Maria Olazabal and JJ Henry at the BellSouth Classic.

Olazabal, who lost a play-off to Mickelson in the same event a year ago, returned a flawless 64, but had started the day down in 47th place on only one under.

Henry had a chance to cut the lead late in the day, birdies at the 13th and 14th taking him alongside the Spaniard.

Mickelson’s halfway total also set a new tournament record, but he has no fears about peaking too soon for Augusta.

Even though Sandy Lyle in 1988 was the last player to win the Masters having won the week before, world number four Mickelson said: “I want to play as well as I can - it only breeds more confidence.

“I felt I was trying to make birdie every hole. Those rounds are few and far between for me, but I love them when they occur.

“I don’t go into any round expecting to shoot 63 or 65, but I felt I was hitting the ball well and making a couple of putts early set the tone for the day.

“Following one low round with another is not the easiest thing to do, but I kept the ball in play and was able to attack.

“Hopefully I will continue to play well and take the momentum to Augusta next week.”

Olazabal commented: “He must be playing really great golf. It makes it difficult to catch him unless we play awesome.

“I still don’t feel comfortable with my driver, but I putted better without question and my attitude has been pretty good, which is important.”

The pair both teed off at 7.30am, but on different halves and it was soon a case of “anything you can do I can do too.”

Olazabal birdied three of his first four holes, but so did Mickelson. Olazabal turned in 32, but so did Mickelson. Olazabal quickly grabbed three more birdies, but so did Mickelson.

The only difference came right at the end, with the Spanish star finishing things off with a two-putt birdie - his eighth of the round - at the 18th.

Padraig Harrington climbed into a tie for sixth place on six under only to crash to a quadruple bogey eight on the 434-yard 12th.

That included two penalty shots, first after he hit a wild drive into the woods and then when he found the creek short of the green.

Three-putting as well dropped him 30 places, but to the Dubliner’s credit he did birdie the next two holes and another at the last gave him a 71 and five under aggregate, the same as David Howell (72).

Luke Donald, winner of the Honda Classic three weeks ago, and Ian Poulter are six under after 70 and 72 respectively and were lying joint seventh as the day’s play drew to a close.

Harrington said: “Sometimes you need a kick up the backside - but a bogey would have been enough. All day my focus was not good and something like that was coming.”

Two holes earlier he, Donald and Retief Goosen had been spoken to about their speed of play.

Harrington was not alone in having an eight on his scorecard. Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose did the same as they both headed out of the event along with Graeme McDowell.