Mickelson leads by 2 in search of fifth Pebble Beach win
Phil Mickelson is on the verge of his first PGA Tour win since the 2013 British Open.
With a Saturday 6-under 66 at Pebble Beach Golf Links, Mickelson earned a two-shot lead entering the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Mickelson is at 16-under 199, with Japanese player Hiroshi Iwata in second and playing alongside the five-time major winner in the final group back at Pebble Beach on Sunday.
“It’s fun to be back in the thick of it,” Mickelson said.
Freddie Jacobson and Sung Kang share third place at 13 under par, with Roberto Castro and Jonas Blixt tied for fifth at 12 under.
This is Mickelson’s first 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour since the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion.
Mickelson made his Saturday charge with a hot putter, needing just 21 putts to get around the famed Monterey seaside course. However, Mickelson took so few putts not only because he made six birdies but also because he up-and-down for momentum-saving pars again and again. Mickelson expect to play better from tee to green, as he did in his Friday 65 at Monterey Peninsula Country Club, on Sunday.
“It’s been awhile since I’ve been in contention and it would mean a lot to me to be able to play a good final round tomorrow,” he said. “And as well as I’ve been hitting the ball, the score was great, but the ball striking wasn’t indicative of how I’ve been hitting it. So I would like to get that dialed in for tomorrow’s round.”
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
LISTEN TO OUR WEEKLY GOLF PODCAST! This week: How will the Big Four adjust to superstardom?
