Mickelson keeps two-shot lead in Desert Classic
Phil Mickelson made three long birdie putts on the back nine Saturday to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Desert Classic in La Quinta, California.
Making his first start of the year, the 48-year-old Mickelson shot a bogeyfree 6-under-par 66 on the Stadium Course at PGA West to get to 22-under 194.
“I don’t know what to say,” Mickelson said. “I played OK and my goal or game plan of playing the Stadium Course is to actually hit drivers and to try to bomb it down there as close to the greens as you can. … It seemed to play out OK, and I gave myself a lot of good chances. I missed a few short putts … but I also made a couple of long ones that were nice little bonuses.”
He topped the leaderboard for the third consecutive day after matching his career-low score with an opening 60 at La Quinta Country Club and shooting a 68 on Friday on PGA West’s Nicklaus Tournament Course.
The tournament winner in 2002 and 2004, Lefty rolled in a 35-foot birdie putt on the par-3 13th and added a 12-footer on the par-4 14th. After missing a 10-foot try on the par-5 16th to spoil an up-anddown bid from the deep greenside bunker, he ran in a 25-footer on the island green, par-3 17th called Alcatraz.
Adam Hadwin was second after a 65 on the Nicklaus layout. The Canadian has three consecutive top-six finishes in the event. He was second in 2017 after a third-round 59 at La Quinta and tied for third last year.
Mickelson is making his first tour start since early October and first competitive appearance since beating Tiger Woods in Las Vegas in November in a made-for-TV event. The Hall of Famer won the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship last year for his 43rd PGA Tour title and first since the 2013 British Open.
Adam Long was third at 19-under after a 63 at La Quinta, and Steve Marino had a 67 on the Nicklaus layout to get to 18 under. Defending champion Jon Rahm was tied for seventh at 16under after a 68 at the Stadium.
EUROPEAN TOUR
Shane Lowry won the Abu Dhabi Championship in United Arab Emirates after being taken to the final hole. Lowry claimed his fourth European Tour title with a one-shot victory over South African Richard Sterne.
Lowry had an overnight lead of three shots but that was quickly wiped out as the Irishman faltered and Sterne (69) played the first nine holes in 31.
The pair were tied on the 18th tee of the final round, but Sterne’s wayward approach to the final green saw Lowry win with a birdie for a 1-under 71. Lowry finished at 18-under 270to clinch his first win since 2015 at the
WGC Bridgestone Invitational.
LPGA TOUR
Lydia Ko shot 30 on the front nine to catch the leaders and stayed bogeyfree for a 5-under 66 to share the lead with EunHee Ji going into the final round of the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in Lake Biena Vista.
Ji also shot 66 at Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons. They were at 13-under 200.
Brooke Henderson of Canada was poised to make it a three-way tie at the top until she made double bogey on the par-3 closing hole for a 70, leaving her two shots behind. Nelly Korda had an eagle and four birdies for a 65. She joined Henderson two shots off the lead.
The LPGA Tour season opener is limited to winners each of the last two seasons for a $1.2 million purse.
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
David Toms shot his second 7-under 65 in a row on Friday to take a four-stroke lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
Joe Durant, tied for the first-round lead with Toms, had a 69 to drop into a tie for second with Tom Lehman with a round left. Lehman shot 65.