Mickelson feels game not "far off" despite 76 Friday

Too many “terrible swings” Friday added up to one of Phil Mickelson’s worst rounds at Augusta National Golf Club.

Mickelson, who said he couldn’t wait to get back on the course after a strong finish Thursday, went in reverse Friday.

The result was 4-over-par 76, one shot off the highest round in his 21 Masters starts.

“It’s not what I wanted; I’ve got a lot of work to do,” said Mickelson, who is nine shots off Jason Day’s lead.

Mickelson, who opened with 71, is at 3-over 147. He made the cut by one shot and will be one of the early starters Saturday.

“There’s always a mid-60s round out there like this even in conditions like this,” he said, referring to the gusting wind. “If I can post one of those, I should be within striking distance for Sunday. You’re never out on this tournament. You just never know what’s going to happen.”

What happened to Mickel­son on Friday was not pretty: five bogeys, a double bogey and just three birdies.

Still, he said, his game “doesn’t feel far off.”

Mickelson was off on his iron play. After hitting 15 greens in regulation Thurs­day, he hit only 10 on Friday.

Mickelson was 1-under through eight holes Friday. His downfall started with a poorly hit gap wedge on his second shot to the ninth green. It went into the greenside bunker and led to a bogey.

“I don’t know what happened there, but it threw me and it carried over to the next shot, because I hit an awful shot at 10,” said Mickelson, who also made bogey on that hole.

After a par on No. 11, he found the water on No. 12 and made double bogey. He birdied No. 13 but made bogeys on Nos. 14 (another poor gap-wedge shot) and 15 and parred in for 4-over 40.

“I made a lot of mistakes today,” he said. “I made a lot of poor mistakes that I just can’t do around here.”