AP - Aaron Baddeley and Rhein Gibson have made a solid start to the US PGA Tour's event in California, carding 67 to sit just three shots off the lead.
The Australian pair made the most of good round-one scoring conditions in La Quinta on Thursday to be tied for 18th in a tournament being played on three different courses.
Indian Anirban Lahiri and Americans Jason Dufner, Jeff Overton and Jerry Kelly share the lead at eight-under, while Phil Mickelson signed for a 68 in his 2015-16 Tour season debut.
NSW's Gibson was hot and cold on the PGA West TPC Stadium Course, making nine birdies mixed with four back-nine bogeys.
Of the other Australians, Jarrod Lyle and Rod Pampling were next best with a three-under 69, followed by Matt Jones (70), John Senden, Robert Allenby and Marc Leishman (71) and Geoff Ogilvy (73).
Mickelson, a five-times major winner making his first start since last October's Presidents Cup, picked up six strokes over a seven-hole stretch from the fifth, including an eagle-two at the eighth, before a late stumble left him with a four-under 68.
Dufner, looking to rediscover the form that won him the PGA Championship in 2013, capped a flawless round with a birdie at his final hole, the par-four ninth, to grab a share of the lead.
Americans Colt Knost and Jamie Lovemark were a further shot back.
Mickelson eagled the par-four eighth after his 110-yard approach hit the flag and spun right back into the cup. The eagle, along with a trio of birdies on the front nine, put Mickelson near the top of the leaderboard.
He went on to pick up another stroke two holes later but fell back after bogeys at the 14th and 17th holes.
"It was a fun start to the year. I've had a lot of time off, it was fun to get back into the swing of it," said Mickelson. "I had a good solid round."
Lahiri, who last October became the first golfer from India to play at the Presidents Cup, carded eight birdies in a flawless round at La Quinta Country Club.
Defending champion Bill Haas made a rousing start by holing out his second shot for eagle at the par-four first before going on to card a six-under 66 to sit in an 11-way tie for seventh.
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