Storm halts Mickelson’s round

Phil Mickelson is looking a bit more at ease, the golf course providing some of the distraction he wanted while he and his wife deal with her breast cancer.

Now if he can just get his putter back under control.

Mickelson just missed a couple of birdie attempts Friday, then cost himself a stroke when a par putt lipped out during the second round of the St. Jude Classic.

He marked his tee shot in the 16th fairway, got a ride off the course and jumped into his car after play was stopped ahead of thunderstorms that had tornado sirens wailing.

Play was halted and fans and players were cleared from the TPC Southwind course when the horn sounded 10 minutes before thunder could be heard Friday. Tornado sirens then went off about 40 minutes after play was stopped, with the storm tossing equipment around the course and knocking power out in parts of town.

Brian Gay held the clubhouse lead after a four-under-par 66 put him at 10-under 130 through 36 holes, two strokes ahead of Robert Allenby and Bryce Molder (63), with Allenby having three holes to play. A total of 78 golfers still must finish when the second round resumes this morning.

Mickelson was at four under with three birdies and a bogey in his first event since announcing his wife has breast cancer.

This is a tuneup for the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, and his preparation showed when he pulled an iron instead of driver or a wood on the tee.

Gay birdied five of his first eight holes and got as low as 12 under when he birdied the par-4 12th and 15th to become the first to reach 12 under. But he bogeyed his final two holes and fell back to 10 under.

Woody Austin (66) was tied at 133 with a group including David Toms, the two-time champion here who was at seven under with four to play.