Phil Mickelson took the long walk back to the tee after losing a ball with his opening drive at the US Open in San Francisco yesterday
The five-time runner-up’s hook into the trees down the Olympic Club’s 449-yard ninth — that is where half the field started — could not be found in the permitted five minutes and, with so many people around, was assumed to be up in the branches somewhere.
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Mickelson made birdie with his second ball, but that meant a five went on to his card and he followed with two more bogeys. He was paired with Tiger Woods whose bogeys on the ninth and 11th were both the result of driving into the rough.
South African Branden Grace did reach two under with birdies at the 10th and 11th, but he bogeyed the next.