Warren and Sutherland get party started in Phoenix
PHOENIX (Reuters) - Americans Charles Warren and Kevin Sutherland got the party started at the Phoenix Open on Thursday, firing sparkling 65s to share the first-round lead in the PGA Tour's biggest bash.
After the opening round was delayed 40 minutes due to frost, Warren made a sizzling start with birdies at three of his first four holes on a cool, sunny morning.
Chasing his first PGA Tour win, Warren picked up shots at 12 and 15 before taking the outright lead with another birdie on 17.
Warren was joined atop the leaderboard by Sutherland, who carded birdies on his final two holes in fading light to complete a bogey-free round.
"I knew going into the week that you've got to make a lot of birdies and you've got to give yourself a lot of chances, but there's plenty of holes out there where you can make bogey pretty easily," Warren told reporters.
Lurking one shot back on five-under 66 were Americans Brian Gay and Rich Beem, Colombian Camilo Villegas and Australian Nick O'Hern, who will return early on Friday to complete the last four holes of his round.
World number two Phil Mickelson and South Korea's K.J. Choi, the early leader of the FedEx Cup standings, overcame shaky starts to join a large group of players on three under 68.
TWICE CHAMPION
Playing the back nine first, Mickelson, twice champion in Phoenix, dropped shots at the 13th and 15th.
Dubbed the King of Desert for his seven PGA Tour wins in the western U.S., Mickelson recovered with a birdie at 17 and shifted into top gear at the turn by draining birdies at the first and second followed by an eagle three at the third.
"I got off to a terrible start, I was very passive and wasn't aggressive. In the middle of the round I got a little upset and started making some aggressive swings," he said.
Mickelson, who lived in Scottsdale for 12 years and attended Arizona State, will have the support of one of the loudest galleries in golf.
A golf tournament with a rock concert atmosphere, the Phoenix Open is the PGA Tour's biggest party and has attracted more than 500,000 spectators in each of the last four years.
With the Super Bowl being staged in nearby Glendale, officials expect the party atmosphere to go up a few notches and attendance records to be shattered with up to 600,000 fans passing through the turnstiles.
(Writing by Steve Keating in Detroit, editing by Ed Osmond)
