Mickelson rues lost opportunities on low-scoring day

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

NORTON, Massachusetts (Reuters) - Title-holder Phil Mickelson was frustrated after not making the most of ideal scoring conditions in Friday's opening round at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

The American left-hander, who held off Tiger Woods to win last year's title by two strokes, collected a three-putt bogey on his penultimate hole before carding a two-under-par 69.

That left him a distant eight shots behind pacesetting Canadian Mike Weir on a calm day at the TPC Boston where 46 players dipped to three under or better.

"The scores are low because you've got to shoot low out here," Mickelson told reporters after a round featuring four birdies and two bogeys. "Two under wasn't great.

"I fought hard. I felt like I could finish strong and be right in it, but I let a couple (of) shots go in the end," added the world number two, who failed to birdie the par-five last.

"I've got to get out here tomorrow and get off to a hot round. When we get off early and the greens are smooth, maybe I'll get a few more putts to roll in. That will be my opportunity to go low."

Mickelson, who fired a closing five-under-par 66 to win last year's Deutsche Bank Championship, said the soft, receptive conditions at the TPC Boston made a refreshing change on the PGA Tour.

"It's fun to have this," the three-times major winner said. "It gets old getting beat up every single week with rough up to your knees and just hacking it out, so it's fun to have a week like this where the scores are low.