Mickelson stretches advantage
Phil Mickelson needed only three holes today to turn a six-stroke halfway lead into an eight-shot gulf between himself and the rest of the BellSouth Classic field in Atlanta.
After fellow American JJ Henry, his closest overnight challenger, bogeyed the first Mickelson drained a nine-foot birdie putt at the 389-yard third to move to 17 under par.
Incredibly, it was his 18th birdie in just 39 holes.
Not since Sandy Lyle in 1988 has anybody won the last tournament before the Masters and then won at Augusta as well.
But Mickelson is determined to give himself yet another chance to change that.
The world number four – he could be third again tomorrow night – took a six-stroke lead into the third round of the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta today.
Mickelson is trying for his third victory in seven years at the event.
But after he beat Jack Nicklaus’ son Gary in a play-off in 2000 he finished seventh in the Masters and following his success in a five-man shoot-out last season he came 10th.
However, when asked after he had opened 63-65 if there was any slight temptation to take his foot off the pedal this weekend Mickelson was almost shocked by the suggestion.
“No. Good heavens – are you kidding me?” he answered. “No. I want to play as well as I can. It only breeds more confidence.”
The left-hander’s two brilliant opening rounds enabled him to achieve not only a tournament record halfway total, but also the best 36-hole score of his US Tour career.
Three opening pars were good enough to lift Jose Maria Olazabal – one of the four players beaten in last year’s play-off – from third to second place and alongside him was not only Henry, but also Swede Fredrik Jacobson after a blistering start.
Resuming in 40th place Jacobson, no longer a member of the European tour and ineligible therefore for the Ryder Cup, birdied seven of the first 10 holes. But he did then bogey the short 11th after going over the green.
Meanwhile, Padraig Harrington came back from an opening bogey with three successive birdies from the fourth to be joint eighth on seven under, but his hopes of catching Mickelson appeared to have been ended by a quadruple bogey eight at the 12th hole of his second round.
Luke Donald also stood seven under, while David Howell was two further back and Ian Poulter four under.
Another Swede, Richard Johnson, took the early clubhouse lead on six under with a 66, but the week was turning into a one-man show.
