SANDWICH, England — Though he’s five shots back, Phil Mickelson walked off the course following his even-par 70 yesterday enthused about the direction he is headed.

Mickelson, who has only one top-10 finish in his 17 British Opens, said he is taking a new approach to his entire outlook in an effort to return to the form that’s brought him four major championships.

“After the U.S. Open I started to change my way of thinking,” he said yesterday. “It’s going to take me a little process to get back to where I was as a player and I feel like I’m on my way back. It might take a while. It could be a week, but it’s unlikely. It could be a month or a few months, but I feel like I’m back on my way in the right direction.

“I haven’t played the way I like to play, the way I’m used to playing, I haven’t thought as clearly on the golf course,” he said. “I feel like I’ve got a good game plan to slowly get me back, and this was a good start. I feel good about the direction I’m headed.”

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Ben Curtis, the Open champion the last time it was played at Royal St. George’s, shot 77. So, too, did Aaron Baddeley, whose caddie this week is Andy Sutton, Curtis’ caddie when he won here in 2003.

Coincidentally, the two played in the same group.

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Mark Calcavecchia, who won the Open in 1989, shot a 69 to put himself in contention. Calcavecchia, 51 and playing on the Champions Tour, said he’ll keep playing over here until his exemption as a past winner runs out at age 60.

“I’ve got nine years left and I promise you, unless I’m lame or something, I’ll be here every year,” he said.

This is Calcavecchia’s 25th career start at the Open. He’s made the cut in 18 of the 24 previous starts.

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Dustin Johnson had a hole-in-one on the 16th hole. It was part of the reversal of a miserable start. He was 4-over through 13 holes and carded birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 before the ace, which got him back to even par, where he finished.

“Standing on 14 I wanted to make a few birdies and give myself a chance to get back in this thing,” he said.

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Jerry Kelly yesterday had a much better experience on his first hole at Royal St. George’s than he did eight years ago.

Kelly, the first to tee off in the opening round, took a bogey 5 on the hole. Eight years ago, he opened the tournament with an 11, shot 86 and withdrew.

Kelly finished with a 74 — and plans to continue playing today.