Phil Mickelson amongst first day leaders - AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am 2007

Nowhere near the leaderboard since his collapse at the U.S. Open last summer, Mickelson hit 4-iron from 230 yards into 18 feet for eagle on his final hole at Poppy Hills for a 7-under 65 to share the lead with rookie John Mallinger and Nick Watney at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

"I didn't think it would take three tournaments to get to where I wanted to be," said Mickelson, playing for the fourth straight week. "But each tournament, I saw progress."

Mickelson and the rest of the 180-man field also saw a return of the notorious weather -- known in these parts as "Crosby" weather as a tribute to when Bing Crosby was host of a tournament that featured every element just about every hour.

Cold. Windy. Wet.

It was better to be at Poppy Hills than the other two courses in the rotation because it is the farthest from the Pacific Ocean and protected by tree-lined fairways. That's where Mickelson and Watney played.

The best round belonged to Mallinger, who was on the wrong course, but at the right time.

Pebble Beach sits along the bluffs of the Pacific, bare to the wintry wind that was so strong at times it toppled a tree on the 17th fairway around the corner at Spyglass Hill.

"There's nowhere to hide there," Jim Furyk said after his 67 at Spyglass.

Mallinger, however, started his round on the 10th hole in the virtual calm of the morning. The wind didn't arrive until he had only five holes remaining, and by then he had done most of his damage.

Of course, it helped that he made 100 feet worth of birdie putts on his first three holes, starting with a 60-footer just off the green.

"I got 14 holes with good weather," Mallinger said. "Those are where you make your birdies, so when you've got good weather, you've got an advantage."

He should clarify "good" in this case, because sunshine has graced this picturesque peninsula the last six years. It was good for 14 holes because the flags weren't bending sideways, the clouds had not released the rain and it didn't feel like winter.

"It was beneficial," he said.

Over at Spyglass, Furyk played his best golf in the worst conditions. His 2-under start was wiped out by a double bogey from two bunkers on the sixth hole, and he was even when the trees began to shake. Then he made five birdies on the back nine.

"I'm glad I got through there," he said.

But the place to be was Poppy Hills. It was the only course that averaged under par in the opening round at 71.73. Spyglass Hill, traditionally the toughest in calm conditions, averaged 73.17, while Pebble checked in at 74.98.

"It's the most shielded course of the three," Watney said. "I got a good break playing Poppy."

Watney's amateur partner was Jerry Chang, a former player at Stanford who hasn't played in this tournament since 2002 when he was paired with his best friend -- Tiger Woods.

"My friends told me I had no chance to make an impression," Watney said. "But Jerry told me he upgraded his pro."

Mickelson got out of the celebrity rotation this year, which will put him at Pebble Beach on Friday instead of third round. He has won twice at Pebble, the most recent victory two years ago when he opened with a 62 at Spyglass and was never challenged.

But this year has been a struggle. Mickelson has not contended since his double bogey on the 72nd hole at Winged Foot, and he had not played since going 0-4-1 at the Ryder Cup. He took a three-month break, typical for him, and came into the year full of energy.

The rust was unexpected. His iron play was shaky in two middle-of-the-pack finishes at the Bob Hope Classic and Buick Invitational, and his putting let him down last week in Phoenix when he missed the cut.

He spent the last five days working on the short stick, and it paid off Thursday.

"You're not going to make them all," Mickelson said. "But I started every putt on line with the right speed."

Some of the putts were easy, such as the 3-footer on the 14th when he hit the flag with his 8-iron. But he also holed a 35-footer on the 13th, which he said was the "longest putt I've made all year."

More "Crosby" weather is in the forecast the rest of the week, which John Daly should have expected.

He was among the early contenders at Pebble Beach, 4 under through seven holes, when the wind arrived and knocked down a 5-iron into the hazard on the ninth hole, leading to double bogey. His last tee shot didn't quite carry far enough and tumbled down the rocks on the 18th hole, giving him a bogey for a 72.

"It's just like it always is around here -- miserable," Daly said. "I haven't played here in about four or five years, and it was miserable then, too."