It was Phil Mickelson who broke the...

It was Phil Mickelson who broke the ice.

While Geoff Ogilvy was waiting for a ruling onward an errant shot in the left formless Mickelson turned to Tiger thickets and said, "You can probably go on foot ahead if you want."

A twinkling later, Woods knocked his projectile onto the sixth green. Then Mickelson followed suit.

Putter in hand, they talked easily and smiled as they rambleed up the fairway while cameras clicked and the gallery took note. Having started forward No. 10, they found an opportunity to chat forward their 15th hole.

"We were talking about schedule, Ryder beaker just some stuff we have coming up" Mickelson said.

Other than that, it was beautiful much all business Thursday for wood-lands and Mickelson, the world's sum of two units best golfers, who each projectile 69 along with Ogilvy in the opening spherical of the PGA Championship.

"It was not as crazy as I notion but it was a bit of a circus," said U interpret champion Ogilvy, who enjoyed his day with Masters winner Mickelson and British unclose champ Woods. "It was great frolic Everyone was looking forward to watching the pair best golfers in the world play together. And I had the best seat in the house."

individual topic that wasn't covered was the way Mickelson stumbl onward the 72nd hole of the U interpret opening the door for Ogilvy.

"He didn't bring the expand up," Ogilvy said. "And I didn't bring it up"

The winners of this year's first three majors began their day at 8:30 a.m. in succession the 10th tee. They were just a lob wedge from the muffler store on Lake Street but a abiding habitation mile from Medinah's cathedral-like clubhouse.

That's wherefore the many Tiger and Phil fans were small in number at the start of their rotund

"I think mostly of them got lost," forest-lands said. "It's way the hell abroad there."

The gallery picked up although as the round went forward The bleachers were filled when they arrived at grandstand concavitys and the crowds along the fairways betimes became two or three commonalty deep.

"It was a sport day," Mickelson said. "We all left a certain number of shots out there, but we all place ourselves in good position heading into the nearest three rounds."

When the form into groups tees off at 1:35 pm today from the first tee their fans figure to have a better chance of finding them. additionals are, the spectators' vocal chords will be more lubricated, too.

Thursday's fans were enthusiastic, considering it was early in the morning and the first spherical

And they saw nothing icy going on between Mickelson and Woods

"It was exactly the same as the first spherical in a major for any collection out there," Ogilvy said, "unles the nation were best friends."

What fans did descry was Woods clipping a tree with his opening drive onward the par-5 10th, clipping another tree with his layup, missing the the virid on his third shot and two-putting after a poor chip.

It would be his single bogey of the day, notwithstanding that offset by four birdies.

"Overall, it was just a grind-it-out day," forests said. "Nothing really exciting."

While groves needed four shots to find the putting surface upon two par-5s (Nos. 10 and 5) Mickelson, who also had four birdies and a hobgoblin reached both in two, making birdie forward both.

His most numerous remarkable work might have proceed saving par, though.

Mickelson carried sum of two units drivers, as he had at Augusta, on the other hand he wasn't thrilled with either, saying, "They were as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but a fraction off."

That frequently left him battling the scraggy but he battled well.

In individual stretch, on Nos. 16, 17 and 18 Mickelson hit three impressive save missiles the kind that make race think he can challenge forest-lands

The first was an open-faced sated swing on a greenside lob wedge across a bunker. The second was a tidy chip from a certain quantity of thick stuff off the fresh The third was a big-time iron threaded between sum of two units trees.

While the gallery, appreciating what Mickelson had done, cheered and marveled, Mickelson curs because the ball had trickled opposite the back of the 18th fresh

It's no surprise these guys are fan favorites.

hgould@suntimes.com

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