Mickelson takes long way to front of Pebble Beach leader board

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- Phil Mickelson keeps hitting it long and going low.

Fresh off a career-low 60 last week in Phoenix that led to his first victory of the year, Mickelson broke the course record at Spyglass Hill -- the toughest course in the rotation -- with a 10-under 62 that gave him a three-shot lead Thursday in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

"Honestly, I've never driven it this far," Mickelson said.

He took advantage of pristine conditions on the Monterey Peninsula, with brilliant blue skies and only a trace of wind that made Pebble Beach, Spyglass and Poppy Hills so tame that more than half the 180-man field broke par.

And as always, Mickelson was a thrill a minute.

One birdie came out of a bed of ice plant on the fourth hole. Another came on the 527-yard seventh hole, when Mickelson hit a 6-iron off the cart path to the edge of the green and easily got up and down. He hit driver on the 325-yard 17th hole that left him 8 yards from the front of the green, leading to a tap-in birdie.

A 15-foot birdie on the final hole gave Mickelson a three-shot lead over Davis Love III, Charles Howell III, Kevin Sutherland, Daniel Chopra and Hunter Mahan.

It was the largest first-round lead at this tournament since Tom Watson led by three in 1978. Mickelson's 62 was two shots better than the previous course record at Spyglass, last set by David Berganio four years ago.

"A 62 is good at Bermuda Dunes," Sutherland said. "A 62 at Spyglass is a whole different story. That's an amazing round."

Sutherland didn't see it; he shot his 65 at Poppy Hills.

But he heard it.

"We were on the 18th tee, and it's amazing to say this, but we heard a roar," Sutherland said. "That's got to be a couple miles away. We heard it pretty easily, and I thought it can only be one person. I'm not sure it was him, but a 62 at Spyglass? I'm sure it was."

The only question was which shot produced the big cheer. It might have been the 40-foot chip-in from across the second green, or the 4-wood on the 560-yard 14th hole to within 25 feet for an easy birdie.

It's all starting to run together for Mickelson, the Masters champion who already is making a lot of noise. It started with his 59 in the Grand Slam of Golf in Hawaii last November, then the 60 last week in the FBR Open.

He is using a Callaway prototype golf ball called "Hex Tour 56," and maybe that number is around the corner.

"The biggest thing for me is I've been driving the ball a lot longer than I did last year," Mickelson said. "And all that wedge work that I did last year and continued this year ... I'm starting to have a lot more wedges in. I'm taking advantage of it. I'm able to make a lot more birdies now."

There was no shortage of those Thursday in some of the best conditions at Pebble in recent memory.

"Even in a practice round, I've never seen the weather this good around here," Howell said.

He also took advantage with a bogey-free round at Pebble Beach, highlighted by an 80-foot bunker shot that grazed the edge of the cup on the 18th for a tap-in birdie.

Good thing it didn't hit the cup on the fly, or it might have gone in the ocean. Howell is still haunted by his sand wedge into the 18th green at Torrey Pines last month that bounced out of the cup and into the pond, costing him a chance to win.

This was a tidy round on a tame course, with birdies on all but one of the par 5s and a steady diet of fairways and greens. Mahan and Chopra also played Pebble, while Sutherland and Love had the best score at Poppy Hills.

Love, who has won Pebble twice in the last four years, made the turn in 31 and was even par the rest of the way until closing with an eagle for his 65.

Mike Weir had a 6-under 66 at Poppy Hills, while British Open champion Todd Hamilton was among those at 65.

Defending champion Vijay Singh played five groups behind Mickelson at Spyglass, and wound up 11 shots behind after opening with a 73, only his second time over par in his last 21 rounds at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Mickelson now heads to Poppy Hills, which features five par 5s and is the easiest course in the rotation.

"It's important that I keep pushing," Mickelson said. "I'm fortunate to get off to a good start, but my mind-set is I still have to go out and shoot low rounds."

That has become routine for him lately.

European PGA Tour

Australia's Steven Bowditch shot an 8-under 64 to take the first-round lead in the New Zealand Open.

Scotland's Alastair Forsyth, Australia's Simon Nash, Australia and Swedes Chris Hanell, Niclas Fasth and Joakim Haeggman opened with 65s on the Gulf Harbor course. Australia's Craig Parry, the Heineken Classic winner last week, shot a 68.