Golf: Mickelson returns with a scrambling 68, rookie Bozzelli leads after round one at La Quinta

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La Quinta, Calif. • Phil Mickelson hit his opening tee shot so poorly in morning rain and cold that he hit a provisional ball to get in another swing.

He scrambled to par the hole and went on to shoot a 4-under 68 on Thursday in the CareerBuilder Challenge, leaving him four strokes back in his return from two sports hernia surgeries.

"I struck it horrible, but I scored out of my mind," Mickelson said. "So, I'm very happy with it. My first round of golf was Saturday and I've been able to work out just the last two weeks."

Lefty hooked his first tee shot into the trees at La Quinta Country Club, then reloaded and hit the provisional into the fairway.

"That next hole, the second hole's an extremely difficult drive and I wanted to just get another swing," Mickelson said.

He found the first ball and hammered a shot under the trees to just off the front of the green.

"It was really a great day for me because I scored so much better than I played," Mickelson said. "And when I finally did hit some really good shots I ended up close and made a few birdies. And when I hit some really bad shots — and I hit some really bad shots — I was still able to salvage some up-and-downs for pars."

Tour rookie Dominic Bozzelli shot a 64 on the Stadium Course at PGA West — the most difficult of the three courses — to top the leaderboard. He holed out from 115 yards for eagle on the par-4 14th.

"Been working hard back home, doing all right things on and off the course, and it's nice to come out and have that hard work pay off," Bozzelli said.

Jhonattan Vegas, the 2011 champion, was a stroke back at 65 along with Harold Varner III, Hudson Swafford and Patton Kizzire. Vegas and Kizzire played PGA West's Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course, and Varner and Swafford opened at La Quinta.

Rain fell off and on in the morning and more was expected Friday, with the PGA Tour moving the tee times up an hour.

"Ain't nobody never comfortable when you're having to play golf when it's raining and a little cool like it was," Boo Weekley said after a 66 on the Stadium Course.

Play started with the temperature in lows 50s and it barely climbed into the 60s in the afternoon. The forecast high Friday was 61.

"The ball didn't go as far, but you don't have to hit it that far out here," Varner said.

The 46-year-old Mickelson had surgery Oct. 19 — three days after tying for eighth in the season-opening Safeway Open — and again Dec. 12.

"I feel fine," Mickelson said. "I've been able to work out the last two weeks. And again, you start out real slow, but you get back to it, you get it back pretty quick."

His caddie, Jim "Bones" Mackay also made a comeback after having both knees replaced.

Mickelson won the 2002 and 2004 events and tied for third last year. The first-year tournament ambassador won the last of his 42 PGA Tour titles in the 2013 British Open.

"There's no better place to learn and to get better than to come out here on these great golf courses and put it to the test," Mickelson said. "You can get away with some mistakes, and I was able to salvage a few pars with up-and-downs, so it doesn't beat you up too bad. It's a perfect place to start the year."

Wearing a jacket with a logo of his leaping celebration in the 2004 Masters, Lefty hit a wedge to 2 feet for birdie on the par-4 fourth and also birdied the par-5 sixth and par-4 eighth. On the par-4 ninth, he made a 45-foot birdie putt after driving left onto the adjacent first hole.

Mickelson had his best par save on the par-4 16th after losing another drive to the left. He hit under the trees into the front left bunker, blasted short into the fringe and holed an 18-foot chip. He bogeyed the par-4 17th after driving into the left bunker, and made an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th. —

Thursday's scores

CareerBuilder

t-TPC Stadium Course at PGA West: 7,113 yards; Par: 72

j-Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West: 7,159 yards; Par: 72

q-La Quinta CC: 7,060 yards; Par: 72

La Quinta, Calif.

Purse: $5.8 million

First Round

Dominic Bozzelli 32-32 — 64 -8t

Patton Kizzire 32-33 — 65 -7j

Hudson Swafford 31-34 — 65 -7q

Jhonattan Vegas 33-32 — 65 -7j

Harold Varner III 31-34 — 65 -7q

Chad Campbell 35-31 — 66 -6j

Michael Kim 33-33 — 66 -6q

Boo Weekley 34-32 — 66 -6t

Ryan Blaum 32-34 — 66 -6q

J.J. Spaun 33-33 — 66 -6t

Greg Owen 33-34 — 67 -5q

Paul Casey 34-33 — 67 -5q

Scott Stallings 33-34 — 67 -5t

Luke List 33-34 — 67 -5j

Scott Brown 32-35 — 67 -5q

Zac Blair 33-34 — 67 -5t

Geoff Ogilvy 35-32 — 67 -5j

Charles Howell III 34-33 — 67 -5t

Brian Harman 32-35 — 67 -5j

Nick Watney 32-35 — 67 -5j

Danny Lee 34-33 — 67 -5t

Sean O'Hair 33-34 — 67 -5t

Seamus Power 32-35 — 67 -5j

Miguel Angel Carballo 34-33 — 67 -5j

Vaughn Taylor 34-34 — 68 -4j

Aaron Wise 34-34 — 68 -4q

Brendan Steele 35-33 — 68 -4q

Grayson Murray 33-35 — 68 -4j

Robert Garrigus 34-34 — 68 -4j

Martin Laird 36-32 — 68 -4j

Chez Reavie 34-34 — 68 -4j

Phil Mickelson 32-36 — 68 -4q

Bill Haas 34-34 — 68 -4q

Ryo Ishikawa 35-34 — 69 -3q

William McGirt 35-34 — 69 -3j

Scott Piercy 32-37 — 69 -3t

Chris Kirk 33-36 — 69 -3t

Steven Alker 35-34 — 69 -3j

Brandon Hagy 36-33 — 69 -3j

J.T. Poston 36-33 — 69 -3t

Anirban Lahiri 34-35 — 69 -3j

Michael Thompson 32-37 — 69 -3q

Aaron Baddeley 34-35 — 69 -3t

Sung Kang 33-36 — 69 -3q

Bud Cauley 35-34 — 69 -3j

Bryce Molder 33-36 — 69 -3q

David Lingmerth 38-31 — 69 -3j

Patrick Reed 36-33 — 69 -3q

Francesco Molinari 34-35 — 69 -3j

Bob Estes 32-37 — 69 -3t

Richy Werenski 34-35 — 69 -3t

Ken Duke 32-37 — 69 -3q

Keegan Bradley 34-35 — 69 -3j

Hunter Mahan 35-34 — 69 -3q

Andres Gonzales 35-34 — 69 -3j

Cheng Tsung Pan 34-35 — 69 -3q

Mark Hubbard 34-36 — 70 -2t

Kevin Kisner 34-36 — 70 -2j

Troy Merritt 36-34 — 70 -2q

J.J. Henry 34-36 — 70 -2q

Angel Cabrera 37-33 — 70 -2j

Brian Stuard 36-34 — 70 -2j

Brian Gay 34-36 — 70 -2q

Charley Hoffman 36-34 — 70 -2q

Tyrone Van Aswegen 34-36 — 70 -2q

Henrik Norlander 36-34 — 70 -2t

Roberto Castro 36-34 — 70 -2q

Steven Bowditch 35-35 — 70 -2j

Stewart Cink 34-36 — 70 -2q

Ryan Palmer 35-35 — 70 -2q

Fabian Gomez 33-37 — 70 -2t

Ricky Barnes 34-36 — 70 -2q

Whee Kim 35-35 — 70 -2j

Blayne Barber 33-37 — 70 -2t

Rory Sabbatini 35-35 — 70 -2q

Bryson DeChambeau 34-36 — 70 -2j

Sam Saunders 37-33 — 70 -2q

Ryan Brehm 35-35 — 70 -2t

Johnson Wagner 35-36 — 71 -1j

Jason Dufner 36-35 — 71 -1q

Trey Mullinax 35-36 — 71 -1j

Brian Campbell 35-36 — 71 -1t

David Hearn 35-36 — 71 -1j

Tim Wilkinson 36-35 — 71 -1t

D.J. Trahan 37-34 — 71 -1t

Alex Cejka 34-37 — 71 -1j

Peter Malnati 34-37 — 71 -1q

Ben Martin 36-35 — 71 -1t

Martin Flores 34-37 — 71 -1q

Jon Rahm 35-36 — 71 -1q

Kevin Na 35-36 — 71 -1t

Smylie Kaufman 35-36 — 71 -1t

Brett Stegmaier 37-34 — 71 -1j

Jon Curran 35-36 — 71 -1q

Soren Kjeldsen 35-36 — 71 -1q

Cameron Smith 37-34 — 71 -1q

Chris Evans 36-35 — 71 -1t

Adam Hadwin 36-35 — 71 -1j

Jerry Kelly 36-35 — 71 -1q

John Senden 36-35 — 71 -1j

Nicholas Lindheim 35-36 — 71 -1j

Kenny Pigman 34-37 — 71 -1j

Ollie Schniederjans 36-35 — 71 -1q

Ryan Armour 36-35 — 71 -1t

Mark Wilson 34-38 — 72 Eq

Gonzalo Fdez-Castano 36-36 — 72 Et

Ben Crane 37-35 — 72 Et

Chad Collins 36-36 — 72 Ej

Max Homa 36-36 — 72 Ej

Jamie Lovemark 34-38 — 72 Eq

D.A. Points 36-36 — 72 Et

Zach Johnson 36-36 — 72 Eq

Seung-Yul Noh 33-39 — 72 Eq

Mark Brooks 35-37 — 72 Et

Kevin Streelman 35-37 — 72 Et

Brad Fritsch 36-36 — 72 Eq

Nick Taylor 34-38 — 72 Et

Jason Bohn 35-37 — 72 Et

Lucas Glover 37-35 — 72 Et

Kelly Kraft 36-36 — 72 Eq

Brandon Stone 35-37 — 72 Et

Tag Ridings 36-37 — 73 +1j

Spencer Levin 39-34 — 73 +1j

Camilo Villegas 35-38 — 73 +1q

Graham DeLaet 36-37 — 73 +1t

Jonathan Randolph 35-38 — 73 +1j

Mark Anderson 37-36 — 73 +1q

Wesley Bryan 38-35 — 73 +1q

Daniel Summerhays 37-36 — 73 +1q

John Peterson 35-38 — 73 +1j

Russell Henley 35-38 — 73 +1j

Shawn Stefani 38-36 — 74 +2t

Steve Marino 36-38 — 74 +2t

Carl Pettersson 37-37 — 74 +2t

Cameron Percy 36-38 — 74 +2j

Rick Lamb 36-38 — 74 +2j

Bobby Wyatt 39-35 — 74 +2t

Cameron Tringale 37-37 — 74 +2j

Charlie Beljan 37-37 — 74 +2q

Jonas Blixt 38-36 — 74 +2t

Emiliano Grillo 38-36 — 74 +2j

Brett Drewitt 39-36 — 75 +3q

Zack Sucher 36-39 — 75 +3t

Joel Dahmen 37-38 — 75 +3t

Webb Simpson 39-36 — 75 +3t

Will MacKenzie 38-37 — 75 +3t

Sebastian Munoz 34-42 — 76 +4t

John Huh 38-38 — 76 +4t

Kyle Reifers 38-38 — 76 +4j

Matt Every 40-36 — 76 +4t

Xander Schauffele 41-35 — 76 +4t

Colt Knost 40-37 — 77 +5j

Derek Fathauer 36-41 — 77 +5t

Julian Etulain 38-41 — 79 +7t

Kevin Tway 38-41 — 79 +7q

Andrew Loupe 40-41 — 81 +9j