Pacific Palisades, CA (Sports Network) - Fresh off last weekend's victory, Phil Mickelson kept rolling Thursday by firing a five-under 66 to take the lead at the suspended Northern Trust Open.
First-round play was halted due to darkness, though the delay was caused earlier Thursday. Problematic winds extended morning rounds, forcing the tournament to delay tee times for the afternoon wave by about half an hour. The remaining 30 players will return to the course when play resumes at 10 a.m. (et) Friday.
Mickelson, a two-time champion at this event, birdied his last at Riviera Country Club to go to the top of the leaderboard alone. He is coming off a win at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, which he claimed by firing an eight-under 64 during the final round, while paired with Tiger Woods.
He is one shot ahead of J.B. Holmes and Hunter Mahan, who both fired 67s on Thursday.
Holmes is off to his best start since undergoing brain surgery in September. The procedure helped relieve symptoms of Chiari malformations, which caused him to have vertigo-like experiences.
In three previous tournaments this year, Holmes was cut twice and finished in a tie for 45th.
Jonathan Byrd and Carl Pettersson carded 68s and are tied for fourth, while Sergio Garcia and K.J. Choi are among a group tied for sixth at two-under. Troy Matteson and Rory Sabbatini are also in that group, but have yet to finish their first rounds.
The Sports Network