Phil Mickelson is looking forward to making his move up the leaderboard in his second round at the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego. The world number two got his 2010 campaign under way on Thursday with a solid opening round of 70 at Torrey Pines - South.
That left Mickelson, who finished 2009 with back-to-back victories at the Tour Championship and WGC-HSBC Champions, six strokes behind overnight leader and fellow American Scott Piercy.
The left-hander described his first-round play as "cautious" but he will move over to Torrey Pines' North course on Friday knowing the much shorter and easier layout - that provided 34 of the 40 better scores than his last night - will offer him a chance to catch up with the leaders.
"I was a little more cautious today because I didn't want to make too many big mistakes," Mickelson said of his opening round. "I want to work my way in the tournament.
"(Jack) Nicklaus used to talk about that in majors, that he wanted to try to progress as the week went along, and I didn't want to try to come out and win the tournament on Thursday because it's just not possible.
"I wanted to try to build into it, so I'm hoping I play better tomorrow and shoot a low score on the North, good enough to get myself in contention for the weekend."
Mickelson carded five birdies and three-bogeys for his two-under 70 on the 7569 yard South course, while Piercy's 64, including a seven-birdie, front-nine 29, came on on the easier 6874 yard North.
Piercy will begin his second round on the South with a one-shot lead over Japan's Ryuji Imada and fellow Americans Matt Every, Chris Tidland and Ben Crane.
Fifty-year-old Tom Pernice Jr lies alone in sixth place after an opening 66, with Australia's Robert Allenby the first man from the South course to make an impression on the leaderboard following a five-under-par 67.
England's Luke Donald carded a two-under 70 alongside Mickelson and Ernie Els, all having played the South.
English duo Justin Rose and Greg Owen and Scotland's Martin Laird all carded one-under 71s on the North but former Open and US PGA champion John Daly had a day to forget on the Pacific coast.
Daly posted an opening 79 on the South that featured four bogeys and a triple-bogey seven at the 14th.