Phil Mickelson says he played well, but shoots 76

Soft greens and a hard day. That summed up the first round for Phil Mickelson, the three-time Masters champion known for his knowledge of and feel for the course.

He misjudged his first chip on the par-4 seventh hole, hitting it too hard because the greens seemed so receptive all day. He chipped from the other side, then three-putted from 5 feet for a 7. That, and a double-bogey 7 on No. 15, contributed to a 4-over-par 76, eight shots out of first place.

"I actually played well. I know it's hard to say that, but I actually played well," he said. "I just made a lot of little mental errors."

Bubba bogey free

Bubba Watson had only the second bogey-free round, a 3-under-par 69, in 81 career major championship starts. "I don't want to give my secret, but I'm trying just to hit greens," the 2012 Masters champion said. "Today I missed two greens. I missed one by 6 inches, missed one by 3 feet. I putted both of those, made pars."

He is tied with Louis Oosthuizen, with whom he played the final round and the playoff two years ago.

Legends lead off

Before 8 a.m., Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus each hit one shot off the first tee as honorary starters. Player said Nicklaus edged him by 1 yard, adding, "But it's not bad when you think he used to outdrive me by 50."

Chip shots

PGA champion Jason Dufner, the most recent major winner, might not be here for long. He made quadruple-bogey 9 on the 13th hole and shot 80 . . . Two other players seen as contenders, Dustin and Zach Johnson, shot 77 and 78, respectively.