By Art Spander
Special to NewsdaySHEBOYGAN, Wis. -- Phil Mickelson's reputation is that of a person who figuratively can make gold from flax, or to be specific, a golfer who can make pars from lies that seem to guarantee a bogey or double bogey.
When still an amateur at Arizona State, he was featured in Golf Digest hitting wedge shots backward over his head while facing the opposite direction. But that move was no less impressive than some he pulled off Friday in the 92nd PGA Championship.
"I certainly explored a lot of areas here,'' Mickelson said. "The first 27 holes, for me to keep it around par was a feat.''
The first 11 of those holes he played Thursday until the fog-delayed opening round was halted by darkness. Friday, he returned to finish the first round at 1-over-par 73. After a brief break, Mickelson began his second round on the 10th tee and he shot a 69 for a two-round total of 2-under 142.
At times during his struggles, Mickelson, who disclosed he has been receiving treatment for psoriatic arthritis, was in deep rough, in bunkers and even on a dirt road.
That wonderful short game kept him from a high score except on 18 of the second round -- his ninth hole -- when his second shot disappeared in high grass and he ended up with a double-bogey 6.
"This is a penalizing golf course not to play from the fairway,'' he said. "I grinded pretty hard just to get in, and you never know what can happen in a major -- and I shot 10-under on the weekend at Augusta to leapfrog everybody.''
That was in April, when he won his third Masters. A victory here, although unlikely, would lift him to No. 1 in the world rankings, where Tiger Woods has been for years.
"It required a lot of patience not to force the issue [Friday],'' said Mickelson, known for taking chances. "I obviously didn't have it. Because of that I had to be patient and keep myself in position where I maybe could make up ground the next two rounds."
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