Mickelson's poor finish leaves him eight shots in arrears

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Phil Mickelson put the wedge controversy behind him but his bid for a third successive Northern Trust Open victory got off to a slow start at Riviera Country Club near Los Angeles.
The three-time major winner had drawn heavy criticism at last week's Farmers Insurance Open when he chose to exploit a loophole in the new rules allowing only clubs with shallow and narrow V grooves by putting in play a pre-1990 Ping Eye 2 wedge, but said on Wednesday he would not use it this week "out of respect" for his fellow professionals.
After 11 holes of his first round at the par-71 Riviera, the world number two was three under par, four shots back on clubhouse leader and fellow American Dustin Johnson.
Mickelson's round began to fall apart from there, however, with bogeys at the par-four 12th and 15th holes and then the par-three 16th as the left-hander fell back to level par. There was more woe as Mickelson, who had opened with a 63 in 2009, also bogeyed the par-four 18th to leave him with a one-over 72, eight shots behind Johnson.
The early-starting Johnson fired a seven-under 64 to lead by a stroke from Argentina's Andres Romero.
Of the afternoon starters in Pacific Palisades, Kevin Stadler got off to a fast start at six under after eight holes, having begun his round at the famous par-four 10th. The front nine proved less productive despite a birdie at the first, with a bogey at the second followed by pars all the way home for a share of second place with Romero as he starts the second round on his 30th birthday.
Americans Ricky Barnes and Brandt Snedeker were a further shot off the lead at five under with world number three Steve Stricker one of a trio at four under, along with fellow Americans Steve Lowery and Cameron Beckman after 67s.
England's Luke Donald, Japanese teenager Ryo Ishikawa, former world number one David Duval and veterans Scott Verplank and Jesper Parnevik were all part of a large group on three under. Sweden's Parnevik carded his 68 despite a bout of sciatica and credited some great putting.
Englishman Justin Rose finished at two under, as did newly-appointed US Ryder Cup vice-captain Paul Goydos. Rose's compatriot Greg Owen carded a level-par 71 but Goydos' captain, Corey Pavin, fared less well with a one-over 72.
Ireland's Padraig Harrington also got his season up and running with a 72, Scotland's Martin Laird and England's Brian Davis shooting the same score. Harrington had been practising with an Eye 2 wedge but opted not to put it in play, leaving only Ryder Cup player Hunter Mahan (71) and former Masters champion Fred Couples (69) using the controversial club.
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 71
Note: First round play has been suspended due to Darkness & will resume at 8am local time. Second round play will begin as scheduled
64 Dustin Johnson
65 Kevin Stadler, Andres Romero (Arg)
66 Ricky Barnes, Brandt Snedeker
67 Steve Stricker, Cameron Beckman, Steve Lowery
68 Charley Hoffman, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa), David Duval, Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn), J.B. Holmes, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe), Ernie Els (Rsa), Roland Thatcher, Luke Donald (Eng), Jonathan Byrd, Scott Verplank, Troy Matteson, Jesper Parnevik (Swe), Stephen Ames (Can)
69 Matt Kuchar, Kevin Sutherland, Nick O'Hern (Aus), Fred Couples, Tim Wilkinson (Nzl), Kevin Streelman, D.A. Points, Michael Allen, Justin Rose (Eng), Paul Goydos, Mike Weir (Can), Craig Bowden, Tim Clark (Rsa), Nicholas Thompson, Jason Bohn
70 Jeff Overton, Matt Bettencourt, John Mallinger, Webb Simpson, Will MacKenzie, Jeff Klauk, Steve Marino, Chad Campbell, Brett Quigley, Bo Van Pelt, Briny Baird, Rodney Pampling (Aus), John Merrick, J J Henry, George McNeill, Carl Pettersson (Swe), Ryan Moore
71 Michael Letzig, Jeff Quinney, Woody Austin, James Driscoll, Brenden Pappas (Rsa), Greg Owen (Eng), Justin Leonard, Marc Leishman (Aus), Jimmy Walker, Bryce Molder, Stuart Appleby (Aus), Y.E. Yang (Kor), Chris Stroud, Jason Dufner, Greg Chalmers (Aus), Bubba Watson, Stewart Cink, Angel Cabrera (Arg), Parker McLachlin, Hunter Mahan, John Rollins, Anthony Kim, Jim Furyk, Joshua Wooding, K J Choi (Kor), Johnson Wagner
72 Bill Lunde, Charles Howell III, Bob Estes, Bill Haas, Martin Laird (Sco), Brian Davis (Eng), Davis Love III, Lee Janzen, Scott Piercy, Mark Wilson, Charlie Wi (Kor), Kevin Na, Phil Mickelson, Aaron Baddeley (Aus), Robert Allenby (Aus), Corey Pavin, Padraig Harrington (Irl), D.J. Trahan
73 Jerry Kelly, Pat Perez, Adam Scott (Aus), Vaughn Taylor, Steve Flesch, Ted Purdy, Ben Curtis, James Nitties (Aus), Vijay Singh (Fij), Ben Crane, Tim Petrovic, Ryuji Imada (Jpn), Marc Turnesa
74 Michael Bradley, Scott McCarron, Chris Couch, Jason Day (Aus), Richard S Johnson (Swe), Nathan Green (Aus), Jeff Templeton, Rich Beem, Shigeki Maruyama (Jpn)
75 Daniel Chopra (Swe), John Senden (Aus), Rocco Mediate, Chez Reavie, Alex Cejka (Ger)
76 Nick Watney
77 Michael Sim (Sco/Aus)
78 Brad Faxon, Mathew Goggin (Aus