Early pacesetter lets his birdies do the talking

For a man once known as a motormouth, Phil Mickelson is showingadmirable reserve after a scintillating start to his latest bid to win amajor title, reports Philip Reid

Once upon a time, good old Philip Mickelson only had to have a microphone inched towards his mouth and he was away. Some would call him a blabbermouth, unable to stop himself from jabbering away like a nosy neighbour, and, more often than not, he had a habit of putting his foot in his mouth.

Remember the Walker Cup at Portmarnock in 1991? When he hit a wayward shot into the gallery, he tongue-in-cheek quipped, "and it's not as if Irish women are pretty." Ouch!

And, earlier this year, he told a magazine man that Tiger Woods was using "inferior equipment". The men in Nike, paying Woods over $20 million a year to endorse their clubs, weren't amused.

Thing is, good old Phil has been proved right in his assertion, with Woods's all-to-recent decision to switch back to his old Titleist driver, a relic of the 1997 season.

You won't hear Mickelson saying anything along the lines of "I told you so!" Nope, these days the man from San Diego has learned that the less said, the better.

So yesterday, after he fired a first-round 66, anyone who thought Mickelson would open up to his media friends was left waiting and wanting. Anyone who wanted a word would have to travel down to the flash-quote area outside the clubhouse; there would be no major interview session.

"I've just spent five hours on a golf course and I am physically and mentally drained," explained Mickelson.

"I'm hungry too. It's more important that I maintain my physical and mental strength than accommodate everyone."

Maybe, too, Mickelson was aware that, in the past, after shooting good first rounds in majors, he has tended to let his confidence run away with itself.

This time, someone had got the message across to him that this is a race that has only run a quarter of its course, and that staying a little bit tight-lipped was a far better thing than letting everyone know his innermost thoughts.

After all, the player who has laboured under the "best player never to win a major" tag for over a decade has seen first-timers steal the show too often already this year.

Up to now, the year 2003 has not been too kind to Mickelson. He started the year as world number two and has slipped to number 10. His best finish has been a third place at the US Masters but, until last week's International tournament in Colorado, he had gone a further 10 tournaments without securing a place in the top 10.

Yesterday, though, the Mickelson of old was back: he grabbed six birdies and suffered two bogeys in a round that had the New York spectators roaring louder for him than for anyone else.

Whatever else you may say about Mickelson, his popularity has remained undiminished.

"I knew I was playing better than I had all year, because of my performance last week," he was to remark afterwards.

"I went back to try to lengthen my swing as much as I could, and it was as long as it has ever been and as soft as it has ever been. Consequently, my misses were a hook, which is normal when I get a little long.

"This week, I spent some time with Rick Smith (his coach), so that my misses would be the other way (left) because all the trouble here on this course is right off the tee. Left of the fairway is a good thing here."

More often than not, though, he was in the fairway off the tee and, when he did stray into the rough, he was able to play recovery shots that were beyond other mortals.

Starting on the 10th, Mickelson got off to a flyer. After a perfect driver down the fairway of the 429-yard par four, he hit a gap wedge to 18 feet and rolled in the putt.

On the 12th, where his three-iron tee shot found the rough, he used his strength to hit a seven-iron out to four feet. Another birdie.

On the 13th, he hit a lob wedge third shot to 15 feet and, again, the putter was hot. Three under after four holes, Mickelson was very much back.

He bogeyed the 17th, where his tee shot found the rough and he eventually missed a six-footer for his par, but he bounced back with a wonderful birdie on the 18th, hitting a six-iron to 15 feet and rolling in the putt.

On the way home, he birdied the second after hitting an eight-iron approach to 20 feet and then pitched to 18 inches for another birdie on the fourth.

Parring in, he only stumbled on his last hole, the ninth, when his five-iron approach finished short of the green and he pitched to 12 feet, only to miss the putt in a rare failing with the putter.

"I feel really comfortable here," said Mickelson. "I liked it when I played the Ryder Cup in 1995. I like the way they're allowing players to hit drivers off the tee by not bottlenecking the fairways. The set-up is tremendous."

Apart from that, Mickelson was keeping mum about his prospects of finally ending his major drought.

Too often in the past, he has waxed lyrical about his chances, only to finish up with egg all over his face. This time, it would seem that silence is very much golden.