By Dave Seaman, Columbus Wired

MICKELSON WITHDRAWS

The match-up between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson here at Muirfield Village Golf Course has been put on hold for another year.

Mickelson, the world’s No. two golfer, withdrew after coming off the 12th green with an injury to the left wrist.

“I’ve never really had an injury so I’m not sure,” Mickelson said. “I couldn’t grab the club and I couldn’t swing. I hit a wedge on (No.) two, and it got really aggravated.”

Mickelson said that the wrist started hurting a few days ago when he was practicing chip shots out of the rough at Oakmont, the home of this year’s U.S. Open.

Out at the Memorial, Mickelson said the wrist started hurting when he hit a wedge shot on No. 2. He said that his 5-iron shot on No. 4 really hurt and it got worse from there.

“I’ll take a couple of days off, see if I can ice it and get ready for the Open,” he said. “I’ll try to even play next week in Memphis if I can. I’ll go have somebody take a look at it. As much as I’d like to play here (at Muirfield), I think the U.S. Open is more what we’re gearing up for.”

Mickelson was two-over after 12 holes.

Two other golfers withdrew as the day progressed—Zach Johnson and Lucas Grover.

Johnson left after getting sick on the course at No. 15. He was three-over. Grover was one-over after eight, when he departed.
 

TIGER FIVE BACK

Woods blew a chance to make a charge to the top of the leader board in the first round with back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 12-13.

The world’s top player ended the day with a two-under, 70. He had a chance to birdie No. 14, but the ball rolled off the green—about 10 feet from the hole. He two putted for par. He also had a chance to birdie No. 18, but the 13-foot putt was just off and he saved for par.

“I’m a little frustrated because I had a chance to shoot six or seven under par today and I did not do it,” Woods said. “I made a couple of careless bogies out there and missed a couple opportunities with the putter.”

Woods tees off at 9:19 a.m. on Friday.

HOME COOKING FOR CURTIS

Ostrander native Ben Curtis played near-perfect golf for most of the first round before double bogeying No. 18 to finish two-under, 70.

The Buckeye Valley graduate had six birdies and was at five-under until No. 17, where he bogeyed and then the double on the final hole.

“I played well, but am not happy with the finish,” Curtis said. “I played extremely well for 15 holes and (had) three bad holes.”

On 18, Curtis hit the ball short and into the rough, where it took him two shots to get back to the fairway. It took Curtis two more shots to get to the green, where he two putted in the hole.

Decked out in his Cleveland Browns gear, Curtis considers Muirfield his fifth major as he grew up less than 15 miles from the course. He said he has watched countless Memorials have has the goal of one day winning “Jack’s Tournament.”

“If you are going to win on the Tour, this is, other than the majors, the one to win,” Curtis said. “This is like a major for me. Everyone has a hometown event or a tournament they grew up watching.”

The 2003 British Open champion tees off Friday at 9:41 a.m. He said he would be sporting Cincinnati Bengals gear at some point this weekend.