Phil Mickelson rekindled memories of the late Seve Ballesteros in storming to the clubhouse lead on day three of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Mickelson birdied four of his opening six holes, eagled the eighth and then also birdied five of his inward holes, including sinking a 50-foot birdie putt at last in a score of a nine under par 63.
The visiting American went into the third round of the $US 2.7m event sharing 43rd place at one under par and ended his day at 10-under par just as the leading duo of Scotland’s Craig Lee and Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello were teeing off at nine under par.
Phil Mickelson’s caddy Jim ‘Bones’ McKay shows the way for the five-time British Open winner during his round of 63 in Abu Dhabi. (Photo – www.golffile.ie)
“I anticipate I will be a few shots back heading into tomorrow’s last round but I just love the fact I am in contention and have an opportunity in my first tournament of the year here in Abu Dhabi where we’ve had some great weather on a great golf course,” he said.
“The biggest thing for me that each day as the tournament has progressed I have felt a lot sharper and sharper as I did not feel very good the first day with my golf swing and my short game.
“As the second day came I got sharper with my irons and as today came I started to hit some really good shots, and while I still had some loose ones, I hit many more good shots than the first two days.
“So today has given me a chance and that’s a great way to start my year because heading into the Majors, let’s say April, you want to have some opportunities to win golf tournaments and you want to feel that pressure and that nervousness, and to be able to feel that in my first tournament of the year is awesome.”
Mickelson’s round is his lowest since a similar 63 on the opening day of last September’s Deutsche Bank Championship and the second event of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Play-Off Series.
It also was one shot shy of the Abu Dhabi course record.
Mickelson played the third round in the company of England’s Seve Benson and named after the great and late Ballesteros, and in playing his third shot from wasteland down the left side of the last hole it brought back memories of Ballesteros’ legendary ‘scrambling’ skills.
“Bones (Jim McKay – caddy) did not like my decision to try and reach the green from where I was and I didn’t blame him as it wasn’t my smartest play,” said Mickelson.
“I had hit a terrible shot but because it was sitting on a fairly hard packed lie I was able to good in steep and keep it low underneath the trees.
“I just thinned a pitching-wedge and gave myself a 45 to 50 footer that you don’t really expect to make too often but I had a good kind of feel on that one and it just rolled right in.
“But then I was getting a little tired mentally those last few holes and I could tell it was early in the season so I just wasn’t as sharp mentally.”
