Mickelson grabs early Deutsche Bank lead

British Open champion Phil Mickelson flirted with a 59, but settled for the early first-round lead at the Deutsche Bank Championship on Friday on eight-under par 63. Mickelson teed off on the 10th hole at TPC Boston alongside world number one Tiger Woods and Masters champion Adam Scott and birdied seven of his first nine holes. A bogey from a bunker at the first was followed by an eagle three at the par-five second, where his second shot landed two feet from the pin. He nabbed another birdie at the par-three eighth, but closed with a bogey when he hit his tee shot at the ninth into thick brush on the right. The tee shot on nine and his wedge at the first were the "only two bad swings" of his day, Mickelson said. Woods, who battled back pain in a runner-up finish to Scott at The Barclays last week, carded a three-under par 68 that included four birdies and a bogey. He said his back was "all good" especially after an extra day off because of the $8 million tournament's Friday start. The event, the second of four in the US PGA Tour's season-ending playoffs, will conclude on Monday, the US Labor Day holiday. "It helped having that extra day off," Woods said. "It made a difference. "I didn't hit the ball as well as I'd like to, but I scored all right," he added. "I didn't give myself a lot of looks." Things were even more of a struggle for the third man in the marquee group, as Scott battled to a two-over 73. The Aussie, who moved to number two in the world with his win last week at Liberty National, went two-over with bogeys at the 10th and 14th, picked up his only birdie of the day at the par-three 16th, then gave the shot back with a bogey at the par-four sixth. With the afternoon starters still on the course, Mickelson's nearest rival in the clubhouse was American Kevin Stadler, who had eight birdies in a seven-under 64. Source: AFP