By Martyn Herman
SANDWICH, England (Reuters) – American veteran Phil Mickelson suffered a nightmarish first round at the British Open as the 51-year-old carded a 10-over-par 80 at a blustery Royal St George’s on Thursday.
Mickelson, who became the oldest major champion in history when he claimed the PGA Championship title in May, made eight bogeys before a double-bogey on the 18th completed a miserable afternoon.
Barring something extraordinary on Friday, the 2013 champion will almost certainly miss the cut at the Open for the third time in his last four appearances.
It was not Mickelson’s worst round at the Open, however. At Royal Birkdale in 1998 he carded a third-round 85 when heavy wind and rain caused havoc.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Toby Davis)
