ARDMORE, Pa. (AP) — Phil Mickelson has won four majors. Billy Horschel has won once on the PGA Tour, and that was less than two months ago.
Mickelson was displaying his usual take-a-chance flair Friday. His round at the U.S. Open was the full package of par saves and makeable birdie putts that all went awry — until he finally sank one from 20 feet at the 18th, the hardest hole on the course, to tie him with Horschel for the lead seconds after the horn sounded to suspend play for the day.
Dramatic stuff, Lefty.
"On 18, when you don't really expect to get one, I put the ball in a good spot and was able to roll one in," Mickelson said.
Horschel's approach to top of the leaderboard was much more straight-forward. He merely put the ball on the green in regulation 18 times out of 18, a stellar achievement for regular tour event, much less a U.S. Open. His 3-under 67 was the best round of the day, and he and Mickelson had a 1-under 139 total that made them the only players under par nearing the halfway point of the championship.