Mickelson, Westwood lead surprising days of 'older gentlemen' at Portrush

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — Phil Mickelson delivered more magic Thursday in the British Open, leaving one shot in a bunker and holing the next one from 75 feet away for an unlikely par. He tipped his cap. He gave a thumbs-up to the crowd.

It looked like the Mickelson of old, especially with all that gray stubble in his beard.

Mickelson, who opened with a 1-under 70 at Royal Portrush, already holds the major championship record for oldest winner, capturing the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island when he was 50.

Now he's at the oldest championship in golf, the one that least discriminates against age. The Open is where 53-year-old Greg Norman had the lead going into the final round at Royal Birkdale in 2008, and more famously where 59-year-old Tom Watson was an 8-foot putt away from winning at Turnberry in 2009.

“The Open gives the older gentlemen a chance to win more than any other tournament,” 52-year-old Lee Westwood said after a day in which he was tied for the lead early in the round until a few bogeys dropped him back to a 69.

Westwood is playing the British Open for the first time since he joined Saudi-funded LIV Golf in 2022, going through final regional qualifying three weeks ago to earn a spot in the field.

He has yet to win in LIV Golf and his results would suggest he is riding out the rest of his career. And then he showed up at the major he first played in 1995 — Scottie Scheffler was not even born then — and found some form.

Links golf helps.

“There's not the premium on carrying traps. They don't make it unplayable for us older guys with length,” Westwood said. “You can use your experience, guile and cunning on them.”

Westwood tripped over his words on the Sky Sports interview and then added, “Not easy to say, but easy to use at our age.”

Mickelson, who has not won since that historic day at Kiawah Island, had missed the cut in all three majors this year. At age 55, he still has six more years playing the British Open as a champion at Muirfield in 2013.

He started strong with a deft touch with his wedge to easy birdie range on the par-5 second, but the real Lefty showed up on the next hole when he put his tee shot into a bunker, plugged and not far from the steep lip.

The first attempt barely got out, rolling on the edge of grass before tumbling back into the bunker. It looked like a bogey at best. But then he splashed out, carrying it some 25 yards and about 10 feet to the left, and the shot had enough side spin to drop into the cup.

He raised both arms. Mickelson loves moments like these, and he's had plenty of them.

“That was a crazy one,” Mickelson said. “It was really one of maybe two poor shots I hit, that bunker shot that buried in the lip. And then to make it was obviously a lot of luck. I was just trying to save bogey, and I got lucky it went in.”

And then his name stayed on the leaderboard the rest of the morning — a birdie on the par-5 seventh, a couple of bogeys on the back nine, a 20-foot birdie on the 17th hole.

Mickelson had gone 21 consecutive rounds in a major without breaking par until Thursday in the British Open. Sure, he had the advantage of missing the rain for all but the last couple of holes. But it was good golf. It's still there.

“I played really well, and I had an opportunity,” he said. “I really enjoy playing these conditions and playing this tournament. It’s just a lot of fun.”

Not all of the 50-and-older gang had the best of times.

Padraig Harrington, coming off his win in the U.S. Senior Open, had the honor and thrill of hitting the opening tee shot. He made birdie on the first hole. That was the highlight on his card when he signed for a 74.

“I got a little emotional when I was clapped on, and then I calmed down, and I was kind of fine when I was hitting it,” Harrington said.

He three-putted two straight holes and had a lost ball on No. 10. It was an otherwise forgettable day, except for the unforgettable start of hitting the first shot.

“Yeah, it was a tough day on the greens, and it just ate into my game,” he said. “Might have been a little bit of the fact that I was hyped up for the first tee box. Who knows? Certainly felt like I played better, could have played better, should have played better.”

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