Third-round recap: Lefty still has the lead in Texas
By Associated Press and Melanie Hauser, PGA TOUR.COM Correspondent
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Phil Mickelson was already frustrated by his slow start in the third round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational.
Then he finally saw a scoreboard.
"I couldn't see the first five holes how anybody was doing," Mickelson said. "I walk up to the sixth tee, and I see I'm three or four shots back. That was kind of rude awakening."
Lefty responded by hitting a perfect drive at the 394-yard sixth and then his approach to 5 feet. That was the first of his seven birdies over the closing stretch for a 5-under 65 on Saturday that kept him alone in the lead at Colonial at 12-under 198.
When he made a 17-foot birdie from the front edge of the closing hole, after the others had finished playing, Mickelson took a one-stroke lead over Rod Pampling (63) and Stephen Ames (64).
While Mickelson struggled early, with a bogey and several missed chances, Pampling and Ames got off to fast starts. Ames had three birdies in the first four holes and finished without a bogey. Pampling was 5 under through seven holes.
By time Mickelson saw the scoreboard, he was 6 under -- three strokes behind Pampling and two behind Ames.
"It was tough to be patient when I am watching guys shoot 4-or 5-under par the front nine and take off," Mickelson said. "All of a sudden, I go from leading to three or four shots back. But again, I knew that I had those holes to play, and if I could make some birdies and follow suit, I'd be able to hopefully catch up."
Mickelson did, and, for the 27th time, he takes a lead into the final round of a tournament. He has gone on to win 19 times, including the Northern Trust Open in February, his only victory so far this season.
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SHOT OF THE DAY
Phil Mickelson: His approach to the 408-yard ninth hole one hops, stops 2 inches from the hole for birdie and triggers a back-nine comeback.
• VIDEO: Watch the shot here 
ROUND OF THE DAY
Mickelson's 65. Yes, it was two shots higher than Rod Pampling's impressive 63, but Mickelson was trailing by four shots after his bogey at the second hole. He came back to grab the lead with a birdie on the 18th hole.
• SCORECARD: Track Mickelson hole-by-hole
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"We need a sixth wedge.'' -- caddie Jim "Bones" Mackay after Phil Mickelson fatted a wedge on the second hole.
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| What the Leaders Said | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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NOT FOR WANT OF A WEDGE
FORT WORTH, Texas -- Five wedges weren't enough.
That's right. The man who is bombing it down the fairways at Colonial Country Club and playing to his strength hit one of those wedges fat on the second hole and ... well, put himself in a hole.
| 1 | Phil Mickelson's lead. A shot in hand? Over 72 holes, that's all you need. |
| 5 | Number of combined PGA TOUR wins by Stephen Ames (3) and Rod Pampling (2). For reference see 33. |
| 6 | Another two-fer. Justin Leonard's score on the 16th hole: He was making a move - he had reached 4-under for the tournament - until the triple. And the number of bogey-free rounds Saturday: Tim Clark (64), Stephen Ames (64), Chris DiMarco (65), Paul Goydos (66), Patrick Sheehan (67), and Mark Wilson (68). |
| 10 | The number of shots Mickelson trailed by during the final round in 2000 when he came back and won -- without a playoff. |
| 32 | Number of commercial spots Crowne Plaza bought during the four days of broadcasts (CBS and Golf Channel combined). |
| 33 | Number of PGA TOUR wins by Phil Mickelson. |
| 64 | As in degrees of loft in one of Mickelson's wedges. The others in his bag? The degrees are 47, 50, 55 and 60. |
| 138 | Rod Pampling's ranking in putting average coming into this week. Through three rounds, he ranks first in this field. |
| 103 | The heat-humidity index here mid afternoon. Can you say Southern Hills in August? |
Enter caddie Bones Mackay, who suggested they might need to add a sixth wedge to the bag.
Yes, he was kidding. We think.
Just how many different wedges Phil Mickelson owns, period, is a question for the ages. All we know is he's put five in the bag this week at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, and -- it's working.
Mickelson, who had more air time Saturday than Jim Nantz had words on CBS' telecast, is up by one shot with 18 to play. And that thanks to one of those wedges -- the 64 degree -- that set up the separation -- an 18-foot birdie on the last hole.
And, no, it wasn't a statement aimed at Rod Pampling and Stephen Ames, who suddenly find themselves one shot back. It was delivering a promise to himself.
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WEIR TO WORSE
Mike Weir got off to one of those dream starts -- he was 5-under for the day through six holes.
And while you might have been thinking course record... well, golfers know better.
Weir birdied the first and second holes, then holed out from a bunker on the fourth. Two more birdies, and he was on his way to an eventual 66 and a three-day total of 4-under 206.
"I was thinking, if I could just keep this going and get to eight or nine..." Weir said.
But he ran into trouble off the ninth and 11th tees and bogeyed both holes. He finished with a 10 footer for birdie at 18.
"If I'm still within six at the end of the day, I could have a shot,'' he said. "In Los Angeles when I won (2003 Nissan Open), I was six shots behind.''
EFFORT WITHOUT REWARD
Brett Quigley started off with a slamdunk. From 68 feet for eagle. Then followed up with two birdies.
"After that, I just made a bunch of pars," said Quigley, who tied for sixth at THE PLAYERS Championship. "I've played well the last two months and haven't gotten much out of it.''
Like the rest of Saturday. He missed five putts inside 10 feet.
Quigley is skipping the Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley but will play in Memphis and attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open.
HOT ROD
It was the best round Rod Pampling has played this year.
Yes, he played great in Tampa, but he didn't make a putt. And he's had some solid rounds.
"I just haven't put them all together,'' he said. "And finally we did something.''
Something as in a 63 that left him one-shot behind leader Phil Mickelson going into the final round. And that was with two late bogeys.
Now Pampling hopes to erase the memories of 2006 when he was tied with eventual champ Tim Herron with four holes to play and finished third.
"You never want to blow chances,'' he said. "But you don't want let chances slip like that. At least I've been there. I certainly feed on that feeling that I had and we just go out and play golf tomorrow and see what comes about.''
Saturday, Pampling -- whose last win was in 2006 at Bay Hill -- went out in 30 and came back in 33. And the Flower Mound resident had a following that included his mom and dad -- Marge and Ken -- and a host of friends.
They'll be there again Sunday when he plays in the final group with Mickelson. And, no, he said the Phil/People's Choice factor won't negate his fans.
"You haven't heard these boys yell,'' he said.
HIGH TEMPERATURES
Count Tim Clark as one player who likes this heat.
"I normally start to play better once summer hits,'' he said. "I feel like the body moves a little bit better, so I'm not minding the heat.''
It showed Saturday when he fired a third-round 64 to climb into contention and settle in three shots behind leader Phil Mickelson.
DON'T LOOK BACK
Stephen Ames doesn't want to be reminded of 2006. Then again, he does.
He started the third round with a triple-bogey 8 and shot 77. He closed with a 64 and wound up fourth. "Geez, even 2-over-par, I would have won by four,'' he said. "What happened there?
"I'm trying to think back on that day now. I forgot about it. Let's put it this way, I don't want to think about it again. I have learned a lot since that experience.''
THREE THINGS TO WATCH SUNDAY
1. Phil Mickelson: He wanted that Phil Phactor -- think Tiger Factor -- at THE PLAYERS and didn't get it. If he gets off to a strong start, it will likely kick in. So will the decibel level of this crowd.
2. Rod Pampling: He's been in the top 12 the last three times here.
3. Anyone within, say, six shots: When Mickelson won here in 2000, he was 10 back at one point during the round; six back going into the back nine. Shot 33-30 to win. Anything can and will happen.
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