SCOTTSDALE, Arizona: Phil Mickelson birdied the last four holes to fire a seven-under 64 yesterday, grabbing a six-stroke lead at the the Phoenix Open with the second-lowest 54-hole score in US PGA Tour history.
Mickelson, who flirted with a 59 before settling for a first-round 60 and carded a second-round 65 that was marred by a double bogey at 18, had no late lapse in Saturday’s third round of the $6.2 million event.
After two birdies on the front nine, he added another at the 13th, then stormed in with four birdies, one by going up and down at the par-5 15th and another on the stadium-like par-3 16th with a tee shot less than three feet from the cup.
“Your adrenaline is going there so I always take five yards off the distance and I just hit a hard 9-iron,” Mickelson said.
“It turned out pretty good.”
His 24-under par total of 189 matched the 54-hole tournament record set by Mark Calcavecchia in 2001 and put him six strokes in front of fellow American Brandt Snedeker, who had six birdies in firing a 65 to stand second.
“You need to shoot pretty low if you want to catch Phil,” Snedeker said.
If Mickelson can fire another 64 or lower at TPC Scottsdale, he will break the record for the lowest 72-hole score in PGA history, the 26-under par 254 by Tommy Armour III at the 2003 Texas Open.
The only lower 54-hole score in PGA history was the 188 produced by American Steve Stricker at the 2010 John Deere Classic.
The 42-year-old left-hander, a winner of 40 career PGA titles including three Masters green jackets, seeks his first title since last year’s Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, a crown he will defend next week.
Mickelson was well left off the tee at the 18th but with a clear line to the green and landed his approach 15 feet from the cup then sank his birdie putt.afp
