Mickelson’s Over-50 First Title Quest Literally De-Railed Day Three Travelers.

Phil Mickelson saw his quest to become just the eighth over-50-year-old to win on the PGA Tour literally derailed on day three of the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut.

Mickelson, who turned 50 on June 16th, went into day three one clear of the field but struggled managing just two birdies in a one-over par 71 to drop back into a share of seventh place at 12-under par.

And ‘Lefty’s’ despair in also striving to capture a third Travelers title and a 45th PGA Tour trophy was mirrored in playing a right greenside bunker shot just 20-yards from the flag at the par-5 13th that Mickelson had birdied the prior two days.

Mickelson got a horrible flyer that flew the green and landed some 60-yards out-of-bounds in coming to rest against railway tracks that run all the way down the eastern boundary of the course for one of three bogeys in his round.

Fellow American Brendan Todd, 34 produced a career low 61 and muscle his way to a two-shot lead at 18-under par as the Atlanta golfer seeks a fourth Tour title.

Former World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, and also recording a 61, is second at 16-under par and just five days after turning 36.

Johnson said: “It would be a great late birthday present if I were to win.  I celebrated Monday hanging out with the kids all morning, went fishing with the boys and kind of just hung around the house and then flew up here.”

World No. 1 Rory McIlroy dropped 14 spots and back into a share of 18th place after a roller-coaster round of 69 that included five birdies and one less bogey.

McIlroy said: “Every time I took a step forward, I took a step back a couple holes later. I just sort of stood still compared to everyone else that was going low out there. Disappointing day.”

And struggling Scot Russell Knox was staring at a 720-mile drive from Connecticut to Detroit, Michigan and this week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Knox has added the fourth ‘no spectator’ event in succession to his schedule and has already clocked-up over 3,000 in travelling from his residence in Florida to Ft. Worth, Texas and then onto Hilton Head in South Caroline and then north to Connecticut but missing all three cuts.

Unfortunately, Knox is riding the worst run in his pro career and now having missed seven halfway cuts in succession and not played all four rounds since the first week in February.

In those four months, Knox has slipped from 111th to 133rd on the World Rankings.

Any joy for Knox in capturing the 2016 Travelers Championship was soured this week with scores of 74 and 69 in missing the cut by six shots.

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