US Open Golf 2012 Leaderboard: Phil Mickelson and Most Disappointing Starts
Ugly scores are a natural part of the US Open. It's deigned (and often designed) to be the most difficult event on the PGA Tour each year, so plenty of names, big and small, are expected to struggle.
That's not to say that poor scores aren't and can't still be disappointing. Just look at the ghastly numbers these three golf stars put up at the Olympic Club on Thursday.
Phil Mickelson
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Phil Mickelson is no stranger to poor performances, particularly at the US Open. Lefty has nine top-10 finishes at our national championship, including five runners-up. He's also missed the cut twice and finished outside of the top 40 on four occasions as a pro, including his tie for 54th at Congressional last year.
Still, it's certainly fair to suggest that Mickelson should turn in better than a six-over 76 in the opening round. He'll need all the help he can get to avoid a fifth non-top-40 finish (or a third missed cut) on Friday, be it from his own clubs or the errant ones of his competitors.
Bubba Watson
Of course, Phil's first-round score wasn't even the worst in his own group.
That belonged to Bubba Watson. The affable Floridian entered the clubhouse at eight over par after managing just one birdie against seven bogies and one double bogey.
If Watson doesn't shape up, he'll risk being the first Masters champ in nearly two decades to miss the cut at the ensuing US Open, joining Jose Maria Olazabal in that dubious regard.
Rory McIlroy
Rory's days of dominating the field at Congressional seem like a lifetime ago, don't they?
McIlroy split the difference between Mickelson and Watson, shooting a seven-over 77 while playing alongside Lee Westwood and top-ranked Luke Donald.
Not that Rory's horrific play is entirely a surprise. He's picked up a win and eight top-10s since winning last year's US Open, but has finished no better than 25th at any Major and missed two cuts before finishing in a tie for seventh at the FedEx St. Jude Classic last weekend.
US Open Leaderboard Top 10
| Player | To Par | Thru |
| 1. Michael Thompson | -4 | F |
| T2. Graeme McDowell | -1 | F |
| T2. Nick Watney | -1 | F |
| T2. Justin Rose | -1 | F |
| T2. Tiger Woods | -1 | F |
| T2. David Toms | -1 | F |
| T7. Jim Furyk | E | F |
| T7. Matt Kuchar | E | F |
| T7. Ian Poulter | E | F |
| T7. Beau Hossler | E | F |
Click here for the full US Open leaderboard.
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