Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood lead unexpected days of the

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 offered a thumbs-up to the crowd.It looked

like the Mickelson of old, specifically with all that gray stubble in his beard.Advertisement Mickelson,

who opened with

a 1-under 70 at Royal Portrush, already holds the major champion record for earliest winner, catching the 2021 PGA Champion at Kiawah Island when he was 50. Now he’s at the earliest championship in golf,

the one that least victimizes 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. Mickelson, 55, was amongst 3 players 50 or older

who broke par in the opening round, joining 53-year-old Justin Leonard (70 )and 52-year-old Lee Westwood(69 ).”The Open provides the older gentlemen a chance to win more than any other competition,

“Westwood stated after a day in which he was connected for the lead early in the round till a few bogeys dropped him back.Advertisement Westwood is playing the British Open for the very first time because he joined Saudi-funded LIV Golf in

2022, going through

last regional qualifying 3 weeks ago to earn an area in the field.He has yet to win in LIV Golf and his results would recommend he is riding out the rest of his profession. And then he appeared at the major he initially played in 1995– Scottie Scheffler was not even born then– and found some form.Links golf assists. “There’s not the premium on bring traps. They don’t make it unplayable for us older guys with length,” Westwood said.”You can use your experience, guile

and shrewd on them

.”Advertisement Westwood tripped over his words on the Sky Sports interview and then added,”Challenging to state, but simple to utilize at our age. “Mickelson, who has actually not won since that historic day at Kiawah Island

, had actually missed out on the cut in all 3 majors this year. He still has 5 more years playing the British Open as a champ at Muirfield in 2013. He began strong with a deft touch with his wedge to simple birdie range on the par-5 second, however the genuine Lefty appeared on the next hole when he put his tee shot into a bunker, plugged and not far from the steep lip.The first attempt hardly went out, rolling on the edge of yard before tumbling back into the bunker. It appeared like a bogey at finest. However then he sprinkled out, carrying it some 25 yards and about 10 feet to the left, and the shot had adequate side spin to drop into the cup.Advertisement He raised both arms. Mickelson enjoys minutes like these, and he’s had plenty of them. “That was an insane one,”Mickelson said.” It was truly among possibly two bad shots I hit, that bunker shot that buried in the lip. And after that to make it was undoubtedly a lot of luck. I was simply

attempting to conserve bogey, and I got lucky it entered.”And after that 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 9, a 20-foot birdie on the 17th hole.Mickelson had actually gone 21 successive rounds in a significant without breaking par up until Thursday in the British Open. Sure,

he had the advantage of missing out on the rain for all but the last number of holes. But it was great golf. It’s still there.Advertisement “I played actually well, and I had an opportunity,” he stated.

“I actually enjoy playing these conditions and playing this competition. It’s simply a great deal of fun. “Not all of the 50-and-older gang had the very best of times.Padraig Harrington, coming off his win in the U.S. Senior Open, had the honor and adventure 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 psychological when I was clapped on, and after that I

cooled down, and I was kind of fine when I was striking 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 memorable start of hitting the very first shot.Advertisement” Yeah, it was a hard day on the greens, and it simply ate into my game, “he stated.”Might have actually been a bit of the fact that I was hyped up for the first tee box. Who knows? Certainly seemed like I played better, could have played better, need to have played better. “___ AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf