To be sure, Mr. Mickelson has a few transcendent skills of his own. His short game is famously imaginative and he's got a remarkable knack for getting himself out of trouble. More importantly, however, he refuses to settle into the role of second fiddle. Despite candidly detailing in a press conference last year why he has no chance of ever matching Mr. Woods's career record, he continues to dream and scheme and hatch half-loony plans with the enthusiasm of a kid building a fort in the woods.

His victory last month at the Colonial, for instance, was vintage. In a novel strategy, Mr. Mickelson yanked the three wood from his bag over the weekend (and the six iron earlier in the week) so he could carry five wedges, from 47 degrees to 64 degrees. "My scoring takes place around the greens, so I wanted to have as many options as possible to tackle the different lies and the different shots that we encounter," he explained. If that meant teeing off with driver more often than he usually would on a course that favors accuracy over length, so be it. On the final hole, tied for the lead, he bombed his drive deep left into the rough and used one of those wedges to miraculously thread a 140-yard shot beneath one tree and over another to nine feet from the hole. He then sunk the birdie putt to win by a stroke.

That hole reminded many of the 72nd hole in the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, where Mr. Mickelson, in an equally typical performance, also pushed his drive way left, off the roof of a hospitality tent, but failed to pull a rabbit from his hat. In the Masters that year, he competed with another unorthodox equipment scheme, carrying two drivers, one for distance, one for control. While the move shows Mr. Mickelson is willing to buck tradition, it also shows that driving continues to be a weakness.

After the horrible final-hole Winged Foot drive, instead of punching out safely to the fairway and playing for at worst a tying bogey, Mr. Mickelson gambled and lost on a nearly impossible shot over a tree. That led to a double bogey and a dismaying one-stroke loss to Geoff Ogilvy.

For several years before Mr. Mickelson won his first Masters, in 2004, he was burdened with that most lamentable of labels, Best Player Never to Have Won a Major. The main problem, by common diagnosis, was a stubborn, mischievous nature (stemming perhaps from his free-wheeling golf-prodigy years) that made it nearly impossible for him to resist taking risks. Why lay up on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach, as he could have 2001 while in contention at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, when it might just be possible to reach the green in two by hitting a driver off the deck? (His shot sailed into the Pacific.)

To some extent, "Old Phil" reformed. The New Phil works closely with two instructors, Dave Pelz and Butch Harmon, to carefully plan his strategy for the majors, and so far he has won three of them, two Masters and a PGA Championship, in addition to 31 other Tour events.

But luckily for fans, he hasn't totally changed. "I like that Old Phil is in reserve when he needs it," said his wife, Amy, after her husband's daring shot through the trees brought him victory at Colonial.

Mr. Mickelson undoubtedly does, too. "The recovery shot is the most exciting shot in golf," he said a few days later, betraying the adrenaline-loving beast that still lurks within. My guess is he's probably having more fun as No. 2, able to take the occasional flyer, than he would be protecting his status as No. 1.• Email me at golfjournal@wsj.com.

By Alex DavidsonUSGA.com June 13, 2008

San Diego – The South Course at Torrey Pines yielded just 11 sub-par scores Thursday in the first round of the 108th U.S. Open.

Two of the par 5s, the 13th and 18th, were played from forward tees and were reachable in two. The greens were somewhat receptive, though the poa annua grass surfaces got bumpier as the day progressed while running at speeds of 13 or more on the Stimpmeter. Hole locations weren’t the usual PGA Tour fare; none were closer than five paces from an edge.

"Today was the day (to post a score),'' said Joe Ogilvie after shooting level-par 71 on a sun-splashed day on the Pacific coast. “You had 13 and 18 playing very short and very reachable.
They had the tees up on every par 3. They certainly had some tough pin placements, but they were kind to us. They kinda said if you're going to get this course, it's today. I don't know what that means. That bodes a little ominous for the rest of the week.”

Maybe it does, but don’t count on it. The golf course might have been receptive to scoring Thursday, but it was still rather difficult. Players walked off the course raving about its inherently fair setup.

With the 156-player field having to make a second tour of the longest major championship course in history, there seemed like no reason to change the recipe. Architect Rees Jones, who renovated the South Course in 2001 and brought it to its current 7,643-yard configuration, couldn’t foresee there being any significant changes for the second round.

“I think they got it just about right,” said Jones Thursday afternoon. “Whatever the USGA did, it’s working. It’s hard, but it’s not too hard. I think it’s separating the good players from those who aren’t playing as well, which is what you want to see.”

Geoff Ogivly, the 2006 U.S. Open champion, figured that the course, for the sake of equity to the field, would play similarly to Thursday. “You want the quality on both sides of the draw,” said Ogilvy after his 2-under 69.
“You don't want some crazy pins that are going to be ridiculous when the greens get firm in the afternoon, but playable for the guys in the morning. You don't want any lopsidedness.

“It doesn't matter where they put the tees, but I hope they put the pins in spots that work throughout the day,” Ogilvy said. “I'm sure it will be fine. Mike Davis … every player should go pat him on the back, and pat the USGA on the back for employing him. He set the golf course up where it's enjoyable to play.”

Ogilvy pointed out that the Southern California weather also would be a factor in the Friday setup being similar to Thursday’s. The draw here, it's going to be an equal draw here more than anywhere,” he said. “The weather is going to be like this every day for the next four months, you know. It just doesn't change here.”

“I think they want to give everyone a chance to play,” said England’s Luke Donald, who shot 71. “It was nice to see a change (in the setup) from what we see most weeks. They want to get everyone around and then start sorting it out, I think. The weekend probably will be a different story.”

"This is as good as I've ever seen a U.S. Open golf course set up," said Lee Westwood after his 1-under 70. "Last year for me was a little too tough as well, extreme when you missed the fairways. But it's perfect.
I think that if I was on the USGA committee, the golf course would be exactly how I wanted it. They probably want the greens a little bit firmer; there were still a bit of moisture in them this morning. But I don't see any water going on them as the week goes on. With this wind ... it's just going to dry them out and the golf course will be perfect.”

Alex Davidson is a freelance writer whose work has appeared previously on www.usopen.com.

Where to Golf When in Del Mar

This year, Tiger Woods defended his title at the Buick Inviational at Torrey Pines for his 4th win in a row.

In addition, the 2008 U.S. Open will be held at Torrey Pines.For more information on this classic course, check out Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course

Torrey Pines Golf Course Slideshow

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