Page 17 - ATODAY

SPORTS A17
Friday 4 March 2016

HEY 19!

Phil Mickelson follows his shot The Spurs clinch a 19th straight playoff trip
from the 10th fairway during
the first round of the Cadillac San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots over Detroit Pistons forward
Championship golf tourna- Marcus Morris (13) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday,
ment, Thursday, March 3, 2016 March 2, 2016, in San Antonio. San Antonio won 97-81.
in Doral, Fla.
Associated Press
Piercy, Fraser Page 21
lead, Mickelson
on their heels

at Doral

TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer
DORAL, Fla. (AP) — Phil
Mickelson’s scores from
Doral over the past two
years clearly suggested
that the redesigned Blue
Monster wasn’t completely
to his liking.
He had to re-learn a course
that he played for more
than 20 years, and indicat-
ed Thursday that he finally
has the new Doral figured
out.
Mickelson shot a 5-under
67 on Thursday in the open-
ing round of the Cadillac
Championship, the first
World Golf Championships
event of the year. Seek-
ing his first win since the
British Open in 2013, Mick-
elson made seven birdies
and finished the day one
shot back of leaders Scott
Piercy and Marcus Fraser.
“There is a bit of a learn-
ing curve on some of the
contours and where you
have to go and where you
want to go and the best
place to be,” Mickelson
said. “It’s not like I came
in here weeks before and
mapped it out like a major.
You’re here only the week
of. But this is our third year
here now and it continues
to get better each year.”

Continued on Page 21