Phil Mickelson at US Open 2015: Thursday Leaderboard Score and Twitter Reaction

Is this finally the year?

Six runner-up finishes have seen Phil Mickelson fall agonizingly short at the U.S. Open in the past. But after Mickelson's solid start in Thursday's opening round of the 115th edition of this major championship, there's reason for renewed optimism.

Although he stumbled on the last nine, Mickelson posted a respectable score of one-under 69 at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington, as part of the early-morning wave.

Mickelson was in a tie for seventh place when he wrapped up his round and figures to hover around there throughout the day. Anything in red figures at a U.S. Open tends to be stellar.

Below is a glimpse at Mickelson's scorecard from Thursday:

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Out
Hole	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	In	Total
Par	4	4	3	4	4	4	4	5	3	35
Score	4	4	2	4	3	4	4	4	3	32
Overall	E	E	-1	-1	-2	-2	-2	-3	-3	-3
Par	4	4	4	4	4	3	4	3	5	35	70
Score	5	3	4	5	5	3	4	3	5	37	69
Overall	-2	-3	-3	-2	-1	-1	-1	-1	-1	+2	-1

After Lefty birdied the par-three third and par-fourth fifth to reach two under for the championship, Golf Channel's Justin Ray provided some context for Mickelson's prior U.S. Open starts:

ESPN Stats & Info later provided evidence that suggests Mickelson will be in striking distance for a victory this weekend:

It could have been a rocky beginning for Mickelson if not for some trademark short-game magic. Pitching up a severe slope for his third shot at the opening par four, Mickelson chose to fly it to the hole instead of a bump-and-run, stopping the ball inches short of the cup to save par.

Poor iron play has plagued Mickelson throughout the season, but his distance control was on for the most part amid rather favorable scoring conditions on a long Chambers Bay track. The term "favorable" is a relative assessment at a U.S. Open, of course, where pars are paramount.

Ashley Mayo of Golf Digest observed how the physically fitter version of "Phil the Thrill" seemed to be soaking in the high-pressure atmosphere despite the early tee time and resultant lack of spectators:

Thanks to a hot flat iron on the front nine, the Hall of Famer added another birdie with a well-holed putt at the par-five No. 8. He made the turn in three-under 32, prompting the following reaction from ESPN.com's Bob Harig:

The 45-year-old veteran began to leak a bit of oil on the back nine, dropping his first shot with a three-putt bogey from 74 feet on the 10th. Mickelson did bounce back with a brilliant birdie at the lengthy 541-yard par-four 11th before opting to lay back on the next hole, a drivable par four.

After failing to capitalize on the chance to pick up a stroke there, Mickelson surrendered another shot at the 13th, dropping him back to two under overall. Jeff Rude of Back9Network then noted how Mickelson was fortunate to escape with a bogey at the 14th—another par four of 500-plus yards:

The last four holes are a bit more manageable—two par threes sandwich the course's shortest par four before a closing par five that still requires three full shots to set up a birdie chance. Mickelson failed to gain any ground and missed a golden chance to birdie on the 18th.

It's bold to say this early in the U.S. Open, but it appears the typical Mickelson strategy of teeing it up the week before a major is working well. Last week's tie for third at the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tennessee, featured a closing five-under 65, which seems to have carried over well for Mickelson in University Place.

Mickelson, who hit 14 of 18 greens and nine of 14 fairways in regulation Thursday, stated before the tournament began that he felt good about where his game was heading.

"Now I feel like I'm back on track," said Mickelson, per Harig. "Each day I feel like I'm getting better. Each day my touch and my shot making is coming back. It has been awhile, so I don't know when exactly it's all going to come together."

No Laying Up commented on the cautious course management Mickelson exercised at times on Thursday, which is against his swashbuckling nature:

With all the struggles Mickelson has weathered over the past season-and-a-half, bear in mind that he has finished second in the prior two majors, the PGA Championship and the Masters Tournament, starting outside the top 10 after the opening 18 holes in each.

If Lefty builds on this solid start to bring home the U.S. Open title, he will become the seventh man ever to capture all four majors. The wide fairways will aid Mickelson's often-adventurous driving, but he has to keep his irons sharp to stay in the hunt.

Going out in one of the last threesomes on Friday will provide Mickelson with a better idea of the lay of the land at Chambers Bay. The new venue already seems to suit Lefty's eye, but knowing what he'll have to do to remain near the top of the leaderboard can be a big advantage.

Mickelson is among the most imaginative golfers of all time. His last major triumph came at the 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield, and this U.S. Open caters to a links style Mickelson only recently embraced and acquired the taste for.

More ups and downs promise to follow given the rigorous test that is the U.S. Open. Hopefully Mickelson keeps it together Friday to stay in contention and gives himself another chance to win the deserved championship that has betrayed him.    

Note: Stats and round information courtesy of USOpen.com's scoring.