HUMBLE, Texas -- Phil Mickelson did more than prove to just himself that hes ready for next weeks Masters on Thursday. Thomas Rawls Jets Jersey . The five-time major winner showed to everyone that hes fully recovered from last weeks muscle pull and likely to be a factor in this weeks Houston Open as well. Without so much as a practice round this week at the 7,441-yard Golf Club of Houston, Mickelson opened with a 4-under par 68 and was among the leaders following Thursdays opening round. The bogey-free performance was a far cry from last week when Mickelson was forced to withdraw during the third round in San Antonio after pulling a muscle in his right side "Im surprised because I was worried about the Masters," Mickelson said. "I was certainly worried about Houston, but it healed a lot quicker. I felt great today; didnt feel any pain or discomfort and didnt even think about it." Mickelson is three shots back of first-round co-leaders Bill Haas and Charley Hoffman, both who finished at 7 under. Hass had five birdies on his back nine, while Hoffman needed just 27 putts to earn a share of the lead. Keegan Bradley and Matt Kuchar lead a group of five golfers at 6 under. J.B. Holmes, Erik Compton and Jim Renner are also at 6 under, with 10 golfers are at 5 under. Of the 144 players in the field, 113 finished at even par or under on an overcast and occasionally misty day. "The greens are absolutely perfect," Haas said. "... I think the scores are reflective on that. They were a little slower, but part of that, too, is the weather. It was like a little dewy mist out there all day, which played a part in the speed of the greens." Mickelson and Bradley were part of a threesome with Webb Simpson, who also finished 4 under. All three players in the group navigated the course without a bogey in their morning rounds. Former world No. 1 Rory McIlroy, playing in the afternoon and one of the five top-10 players in the world in the tournament, finished with a 2-under 70. While Haas and Hoffman shared the lead after Thursdays play, it was Mickelson -- who was forced to withdraw during last weeks third round in San Antonio after pulling a muscle in his right side -- who was the centre of attention leading into next week at Augusta National. Mickelson has won the Masters three times, the latest coming in 2010, but his status was in doubt following last weeks injury. The left-hander, however, underwent treatment in the days following his departure from San Antonio -- along with fitting in two days of light practice at Augusta National -- and appeared in top ball-striking form on Thursday. "One of the things I really worked on hard today was staying focused on each shot," Mickelson said. "... I needed to play here this week and really challenge myself in that regard to give myself the best chance for next week." Opening on the back nine at the former Redstone Golf Club, which was renamed the Gold Club of Houston following an ownership change, Mickelson was bogey free despite needing 31 putts. He made the turn at 2 under following a 16-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th, and he birdied both of the par 5s on his back nine to put himself squarely in contention. Mickelson won the Houston Open in 2011, and the courses Masters-like setup -- including slick greens and tight rough -- is a key reason hes returned every year since. "He was striking it, he was hitting it long and great," Bradley said of Mickelson. "... He seems like it was feeling a lot better today than it was in San Antonio." Kuchar, who finished tied for fourth at last weeks Texas Open, had three straight birdies in the middle of his round on Thursday -- highlighted by a 47-foot birdie putt on the 445-yard par-4 second hole. McIlroy, one of five of the top 10 players in the world in the field, was as low as 3 under before a pair of bogeys on the back nine. World No. 10 Dustin Johnson withdrew following an opening 8-over par 80. Clive Walford Jets Jersey .com) - Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson lost an appeal to have his indefinite suspension overturned, the NFL announced Friday. Spencer Long Jets Jersey . Portuguese sides Benfica and Porto also advanced to the last eight while Basel overcame an early red card to win 2-1 at Salzburg and progress from a last-16 second leg that was briefly suspended because of crowd trouble. Lyon, Valencia and AZ Alkmaar will also be in Fridays draw in Nyon, Switzerland, where the team to avoid will be Juventus -- even though the Italian champions made heavy work of their all-Italian last-16 match against Fiorentina. http://www.authenticjetsfanatic.com/c-109-jets-chris-herndon-jersey.aspx . Cain departed in the fourth inning of a 10-5 loss to the Pirates on Thursday. X-rays on Cains bruised forearm were negative. He was hit when Sanchez led off the fourth with a groundout.TORONTO - FIFA has attacked another plank in the legal challenge to artificial turf at the Womens World Cup, saying a mens World Cup could be held on artificial surfaces sooner rather than later.Secretary-general Jerome Valcke, in an interview on fifa.com, offered his personal guarantee that the playing surfaces at the 2015 tournament in Canada will be of the highest international standard — for artificial turf.Valcke said that FIFA tournament organizers have had the right for some time to use turf provided that it is of the highest quality and the same playing surface is used for all venues and training sites.It could well be that sooner rather than later the mens World Cup will also be played on artificial pitches, he added. The Canadian Soccer Association proposed for the tournament to be played on artificial turf based on the fact that most sporting infrastructure in Canada is on artificial turf, primarily due to the extreme climate in the host country.It would be very difficult to ensure solid natural-grass pitches at all venues.A group of elite female players has launched a human rights complaint in Ontario, arguing that tournament organizers are discriminating against women by making them play on artificial turf while the mens showcase is played on natural grass surfaces.A lawyer for the women said Valcke was being disingenuous in his comments about the mens event possibly being played on grass.The 2018 and 2022 mens World Cups are already slated for grass so, by soon, FIFA means 2026, Hampton Dellinger said. New York Jets Jerseys. Obviously, FIFAs definition of soon is different from mine or any dictionarys.Even in 2026, Ill believe the mens World Cup will be played on turf when Im hopefully still around to see it. And Mr. Valckes excuse of Canadas extreme climate is astounding given that Russia and Qatar boast their own equally (or even more) difficult weather conditions. The natural grass pitch at BMO Field in Toronto certainly appears to do just fine during the summer months when the World Cup is staged.The FIFA Womens World Cup Canada 2015 is slated to be played on artificial turf at venues in Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal and Moncton.Valcke says playing the Canadian tournament on artificial turf is due to conditions here.As has already been explained, this is not a question of money, or of differences between men’s and women’s events, but it is a matter of the natural conditions in Canada, he said. We want to guarantee consistent top-level playing conditions for all 24 teams during the event, both in the official stadiums and at the training sites. This has been the sole reason behind the decision to play on artificial turf from Day 1.He cited ongoing studies of the turf to ensure that it is of the necessary quality.We fully understand that the players who have qualified for the Women’s World Cup want to ensure that they have the best conditions to perform well. This is a goal they share with FIFA.———Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter. Wholesale Jerseys 2019 Discount Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Store NFL T-shirts From China China NFL Hoodies Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale NFL Autographed Jerseys ' ' '