'Lefty' no stranger to golf fans here
As Phil Mickelson prepared to tee off on Dubsdread's hole No. 1 on Day 1 of the BMW Championship at Cog Hill, a woman official standing inside the ropes gave a friendly reminder to fans who would be looking directly at Mickelson when he hit.
"You do know that Phil Mickelson is a lefty," she said nicely. "So you need to be totally still on this side."
No wonder they call Mickelson "Lefty."
He swings left-handed!
Bet you also didn't know that the "TW" logo on Tiger Woods' cap stands for "Tiger Woods," and that BWM makes really cool cars.
While Mickelson hasn't been playing great and PGA Tour players haven't been to Chicago since the inaugural BMW Championship at Cog Hill two years ago, he hardly needs an introduction to golf fans, who also don't need a lesson in basic golf etiquette.
Mathew Ferraro certainly knows who "Lefty" is. As Mickelson walked from the eighth green to the ninth tee box Thursday, he flipped a souvenir - a pricey Callaway golf ball - to the 11-year-old from Chicago.
"I said, 'Mr. Mickelson, good round,' " Ferraro said. "Then he just took (a ball) out of his pocket and threw it to me."
That gesture is typical Mickelson, who's always been a fan favorite. He acknowledged his supporters repeatedly during his round, even though he was scrambling most of the day, finishing with an even-par 71 (tie for 29th).
Since tying for second in the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black in New York, Mickelson's best finish in four starts is a tie for 27th.
He gave away more golf balls during his Thursday round and nearly as many holes. He missed the green on both par-3s on the front nine and missed fairways on Nos. 9, 10, 11 and 13.
On No. 15, "Lefty" swung righty. That was after his second shot on the par-5 flew the green and nestled among weeds. He hacked a wedge, rolled the ball just through the green and saved par.
When Mickelson sank a 20-footer on No. 17 - just his second birdie to go along with 2 bogeys - he was back to level par.
Mickelson didn't speak to reporters afterward, but one of his playing partners, Dustin Johnson, talked. The 6-foot-4, long-hitting Johnson fired a 2-under 69 and is tied for 11th.
"The first time I saw the course was Tuesday. Played nine holes on the back," said Johnson, who has three straight top-15 finishes. "I think the course is good. It's in good shape."
Much has been made of Dubsdread's length (7,616 yards from the tips). Johnson's towering drives didn't necessarily benefit him all the time.
"I hit a lot of drivers," he said. "But it seems like every time I miss a fairway I'm in a fairway bunker. Which is OK. I don't mind it."
The question every player is being asked this week is, "Is the newly renovated Dubsdread U.S. Open-worthy?"
Johnson paused for several seconds when asked.
"Maybe," he said. "I'm not real sure. I can't say yes or no. But I think the course is good."