AUGUSTA, Ga. — Phil Mickelson was candid about his concern coming into this Masters.
Usually a fast starter, Mickelson is accustomed to having already won an early-season tournament or two by the time he rolls down Magnolia Lane. He loves to come into the majors — particularly the Masters — in good form, which he did not do this year as he struggled with both his form and a back injury.
It all came crashing down on him in Thursday's opening round at Augusta National, where Mickelson posted an uncharacteristic, sloppy 4-over-par 76. It was a round that included two 7s — the first time he's posted two scores of 7 or worse in the same round at a major championship since the 1997 PGA Championship at Winged Foot. It left him tied for 67th, eight shots off the lead of Bill Haas, who fired a 4-under par 68 to leave him a shot ahead of Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen and Bubba Watson.
"It wasn't the best day for me,'' Mickelson said. "I've got a lot of work to do [Friday] just to make the cut, so I've got some issues.''
Dating back to last year's Masters, Mickelson, who has won three green jackets, is 14-over par in his last 72 holes at Augusta — Thursday's 76 following his 76-77-73 finish in 2013.
He seemed to be cruising cautiously on Thursday, with six consecutive pars to start the round, until he got to the seventh hole, a tricky par-4 with a tiny, elevated green. He made a mess of things with his short game, which is usually his strength, and triple-bogeyed the hole.
After climbing back into his round with birdies on Nos. 10 and 13 to get back to 1-under, Mickelson bogeyed No. 14 and then took a damaging double-bogey 7 on the 15th when he spun a wedge approach shot into the water.
"I made a lot of little mistakes around the green,'' said Mickelson, who hadn't made worse than par on No. 15 in his last 48 rounds at Augusta. "When I'm competitively sharp, those mistakes you just don't make. You don't throw those shots away out here. ''
The end result was exactly what Mickelson was afraid of coming into the tournament.
"I am nervous about this week because I always like coming into this week with a win,'' Mickelson said Tuesday. "I like coming into this week being in contention a few times and having that confidence and experience to build on. I haven't had the results to fall back on. So I am certainly nervous, because this is a week that I care about the most.''
Mickelson has played in 21 Masters and missed the cut only once — in 1997.
He's played in nine events this year, withdrawn from two of them because of a back injury, missed one cut and had a best finish of just a tie for 12th, which was last week in Houston, where he never really contended.
So his best hope as he arrived to Augusta this week was to be inspired by his good memories of playing well.
Two of the players near the top of the leaderboard after Thursday had differing good memories of recent Masters success.
No, it is not 2012. But there are some familiar faces at the top of the 2014 Masters leaderboard.
Watson clipped Oosthuizen on the second playoff hole in the 2012 Masters to win his first major championship.
"It seems like it was just yesterday, but it was two years ago when I won,'' Watson said.
Watson, who was the only player in the field Thursday to play a bogey-free round, said the pressure and feel is different this year as opposed to coming in as the defending champion.
"The emotions are different because I'm trying to get the green jacket again,'' he said. "I'm coming back with the take that I want the jacket again.''
Haas comes from a golfing-rich family that includes his father, Jay, a nine-time PGA Tour winner and 16-time Champions Tour winner who finished third in the 1995 Masters, and uncle Bob Goalby, who won the 1968 Masters.
"It's been a special place in our family since then,'' Haas said of the Goalby win. "It's something we are very proud of to have that many members of our family be able to tee it up here at Augusta.''
Scott represented well in his opening-round defense of his 2013 title, shooting a 3-under-par 69 to stand one shot out of the lead. Only Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods have won back-to-back green jackets.
"There's no doubt winning the Masters last year had me a little more comfortable on the first tee than I've ever been in the past, because I didn't have the legs shaking and nerves jangling for six or seven holes as usual,'' Scott said.
Scott said the few players who have repeated has "been mentioned and it gets mentioned to every guy who is coming back to defend.''
"But there is so much golf to play yet, I can't even think about it,'' he said.
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