Pádraig Harrington made a sluggish start on his seasonal US debut at the €4.6 million Northern Trust Open in California yesterday. The Dubliner traded three bogeys with two birdies for a one-over 72 in yesterday’s opening round of the USPGA Tour event where Phil Mickelson is aiming for an unprecedented three wins in a row.
The world number two left-hander, who opted to remove the controversial Ping wedge with square grooves from his bag this week, also got off to a slow start at Riviera Country Club near Los Angeles.
The three-time major winner had drawn heavy criticism at last week's Farmers Insurance Open when he chose to exploit a loophole in the new rules allowing only clubs with shallow and narrow V grooves by putting in play a pre-1990 Ping Eye 2 wedge.
The row escalated over the weekend and forced PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem to promise to review how best to close the loophole, which arose from a legal settlement after a lawsuit brought by Ping in the early 1990s.
Mickelson slammed the existence of the loophole and the new regulation but said on Wednesday he would not use the Ping wedge this week "out of respect" for his fellow professionals.
After 11 holes of his first round at the par-71 Riviera, the world number two was three under par, four shots back on clubhouse leader and fellow American Dustin Johnson.
Mickelson's round began to fall apart from there, however, with bogeys at the par-four 12th and 15th holes and then the par-three 16th as the left-hander fell back to level par. There was more woe as Mickelson, who had opened with a 63 in 2009, also bogeyed the par-four 18th to leave him with a one-over 72, eight shots behind Johnson.
The early-starting Dustin Johnson fired a seven-under 64 to lead by a stroke from Argentina's Andres Romero.
Of the afternoon starters in Pacific Palisades, Kevin Stadler got off to a fast start at six under after eight holes, having begun his round at the famous par-four 10th. The front nine proved less productive despite a birdie at the first, with a bogey at the second followed by pars all the way home for a six-under 65.
Stadler will start the second round on his 30th birthday in a share of second place with Romero.
Americans Ricky Barnes and Brandt Snedeker were a further shot off the lead at five under with world number three Steve Stricker one of a trio at four under, along with fellow Americans Steve Lowery and Cameron Beckman after 67s.
England's Luke Donald, Japanese teenager Ryo Ishikawa, former world number one David Duval and veterans Scott Verplank and Jesper Parnevik were all part of a large group on three under.
Sweden's Parnevik carded his 68 despite a bout of sciatica and credited some great putting.
"It was fun seeing the putts fall, trust me," Parnevik said. "My back is very bad, and I played horrifically. It's probably one of the best three-under pars ever posted at Riviera.
"It was a lot of good chip shots, a lot of really horrible shots. But I mean, hopefully I can play tomorrow, but I had hip surgery in August and things have really not worked out.
"It's the back. I have a bad case of sciatica, and I don't know how to get rid of it yet. I've tried everything so far. I'm going to see the physios ...but 68 is a great score no matter what; today was unbelievable actually."
Englishman Justin Rose finished at two under, as did newly-appointed US Ryder Cup vice-captain Paul Goydos.
Rose's compatriot Greg Owen carded a level-par 71 but Goydos' captain, Corey Pavin, fared less well with a one-over 72.
Masters champion Fred Couples using the controversial club. Couples finished with a two-under 69, while Mahan shot 71.