AKRON, Ohio: World No 2 Phil Mickelson bemoaned his short game after carding a three-over-par 73 to finish well down the leaderboard at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday.

Back in action after a six-week break while helping his wife and mother undergo breast cancer treatment, the American left-hander showed his competitive rust on the way to a seven-over total of 287.

"I'm encouraged that I was able to get out and play and the biggest thing for me this week was identifying where I was weak," Mickelson said after tying for 58th in the 79-strong field.