Bubba Watson and YE Yang ended the day as leaders at the PGA Tour Waste Management Phoenix Open after both carding seven-under-par opening rounds of 64 at TPC Scottsdale on Thursday.
In a group of seven players, Watson and Yang drove clear on a day when a handful of golfers sill had opening rounds to finish. Phil Mickelson, defending champion at the event, overcame his niggling back injury to take his place in the field, but proved ineffective and off his game as he finished the day level par.
2009 USPGA champion Yang was only one under at the turn but had six birdies in a flawless back nine to surge into the top end of the field. By contrast, Bubba Watson scattered birdies throughout his round with four in the front nine and four coming home; it was only a bogey at the 11th which prevented him from sitting solo atop the leaderboard table.
Mickelson managed a level-par of 71 which included five birdies, three bogeys and a double-bogey, a decent reward for battling with back injury.
Speaking to pagtour.com, he said: "I wasn't quite focused on every shot the way I need to be, and let way too many shots slide."
Brooks Koepka put in a masterful performance to hold off a final round 63 from Tommy Fleetwood to successfully defend his US Open title at Shinnecock Hills.
