It sounds typically Phil Mickelson wacko at first. Playing the U.S. Open at the longest U.S. Open course in history without a driver.

Mickelson has left the driver out of his bag in favor of his 3-wood, at least for the first round.

Torrey Pines has two 600-yard-plus par-5s and two par-4s over 500 yards. The rough will be nasty, but not as penal as the rough has been in past U.S. Opens.

Still, it makes sense in a Lefty kind of way. Yes, Torrey Pines is longer by nearly 400 yards than any previous U.S. Open course, but Mickelson’s three-wood is essentially a mini-driver, with a loft of 11.5 degrees.

He’ll take many of the bunkers off the tee at Torrey Pines out of play and it should help him avoid the rough.

Of course, he also has six wedges.

Just kidding, but with Mickelson you just never know.

I sure didn’t expect him to come out of the gate conservative, but Mickelson is the kind of guy who keeps everyone guessing.

By the way, he hit his first tee shot left, in the rough.

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