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Mickelson missing something

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Times Staff Writer

TULSA, Okla. -- Lefty is having a tough time getting it right at Southern Hills. Phil Mickelson shot a second-round 69 in the PGA Championship, but didn’t get enough out of it. He missed a four-foot putt for eagle at the par-five 13th but did manage a birdie. He also missed a six-footer for birdie at the 15th.

Mickelson is at two-over 142.

“It just feels like I’m leaving four, five shots out there, is all,” Mickelson said. “I feel like I’m playing a lot better than I’m scoring. That’s what’s been frustrating.”

Mickelson said this is the first time since he injured his left wrist in practice for the U.S. Open that he has felt all right physically.

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“I haven’t had any problems, haven’t even thought about it. This is the first week I haven’t had to numb it. My game is better, my hand feels pretty good and I’m excited about playing golf. I just want to get the ball in the hole a little bit quicker.”

Mickelson has played the two par fives -- the 653-yard fifth and the 537-yard 13th -- in a combined even par so far.

But that’s not his biggest problem. He has hit only 11 of 28 fairways, or 39%.

He might not have played as well as Thursday, but John Daly tried to look sharp. Daly sported an ivory-hued crocodile belt by the House of Fleming, made by Bob Chiles in Atlanta. The belt, with buckle, runs about $750.

The House of Fleming belts are trendy accessories on the PGA Tour, according to fashion guru Marty Hackel. Darren Clarke has more than 200 of them.

Out on the course, Daly is at even par after two rounds. He began on the 366-yard, dogleg-right 10th hole Friday and tried to drive the green, winding up under a tree. He made a bogey, bogeyed the 11th and had to scramble for a three-over 73.

Saying goodbye to Southern Hills after missing the cut are Masters champion Zach Johnson (74-76, 150) and U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera (81-70, 151). They played in the same group with British Open champion Padraig Harrington, who fared a lot better.

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Harrington shot 69-73 for a two-over total.

“It was fun when we started out. Obviously, Angel had one bad hole yesterday that cost him. While it is enjoyable, it would have been better if all three of us played really well,” Harrington said.

Cabrera had a 10 on the par-three sixth in the first round.

Meanwhile, it was a deflating day for first-round leader Graeme Storm, the former cake factory worker, who shot a six-over 76 and fell to one over. Storm, who didn’t have a bogey in his first-round 65, had eight bogeys and a double bogey Friday. He wound up with only five pars, to go along with four birdies.

“A bit of a roller coaster, really,” he said.

“One of those things where I suppose everything went for me and today it didn’t.

“I think it’s just golf, to be honest . . . but I’ll take it on the chin and just come back tomorrow.”

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thomas.bonk@latimes.com

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