Mickelson has posted rounds of 66 and 67 to move into a two-shot lead in Jacksonville, Florida; 51-year-old is chasing a third victory in just his fourth start on the PGA Tour Champions
Monday 11 October 2021 06:59, UK
Phil Mickelson bolstered his hopes of winning a third PGA Tour Champions title by taking a two-shot lead into the final round of the Constellation Furyk & Friends.
The reigning PGA champion, making just his fourth start on the over-50s circuit, followed an opening-round 66 with a five-under 65 at Timuquana Country Club in Florida to move to 11 under in the 54-hole contest.
Mickelson sits two clear of Miguel Angel Jimenez, Steve Flesch and Matt Gogel, with four-time major winner Ernie Els heading into Sunday three strokes back with David Toms and Woody Austin.
"I had a lot of fun and I hit some good shots," Mickelson said. "With the exception of that one bad tee shot on 16 that led to a bogey, I drove it pretty well, and that allowed me to play much more aggressively on the course.
Mickelson made a two-putt birdie at the par-five third and ended a run of pars by picking up a shot at the tenth, with the 51-year-old then jumping clear with a 10-foot eagle at the 13th.
The six-time major winner followed a long-range birdie at the next by getting up and down from a greenside bunker to add another at the par-five 15th, with his only blemish of the day coming when he bogeyed the par-four 16th.
Jimenez jumped into tied-second by firing the lowest round of the day, birdieing four of his last six holes to close a bogey-free 65, while Flesch would have matched the Spaniard's total had he not closed his second-round 66 with a bogey.
USA Ryder captain Steve Stricker and tournament host Jim Furyk are in the group tied-eighth that includes former Masters champion Mike Weir, while Darren Clarke and Bernhard Langer slipped out of contention with second-round 73s to fall back into a share of 21st.
Padraig Harrington, making his PGA Tour Champions debut, struggled to a three-over 75 and finds himself tied-63rd in the 81-man event heading into the final day in Jacksonville.
