If anyone thought Phil Mickelson would cool off at the midway point of this 103rd PGA Championship, Mickelson had other plans.
The 50-year-old started Saturday tied for the lead at five under with Louis Oosthuizen — becoming the first player 50 or older to lead a major since Fred Couples at the 2012 Masters — and Mickelson has wasted no time separating himself in Round 3 on the Ocean Course.
Mickelson first took the solo lead on the par-4 opening hole, when he two-putted for par and Oosthuizen bogeyed. But then he pulled away even more with back-to-back birdies. Mickelson reached the par-5 2nd hole in two and then converted the easy two-putt.
He missed the fairway left on the 3rd and landed in a waste bunker, but from 99 yards the short-game wizard stuck it a few feet past the hole and spun it back to two feet, leading to another easy birdie. Oosthuizen parred the 2nd and 3rd, so just like that Mickelson’s lead was three at seven under.
Mickelson was in danger of dropping a shot on 4 when he found the green-side bunker, but he splashed out and rolled in a seven-footer for par. At the time that kept his lead to two over Brooks Koepka, who played his first five holes in one under.
But he wasn’t done yet. He added back-to-back birdies on 6 and 7 and turned in four-under 32, good for a four-shot lead over three others.
Mickelson is going for his sixth career major title. You can follow the entire third round here.
