Phil Mickelson is the fourth player 50 years old or older in the modern era (since 1934) to hold or share the lead at the 54-hole mark of a major. None were holding the lead at the end of 72 holes. Mickelson, the 2005 PGA Champion, will go into Sunday’s final round of the PGA Championship at the Ocean Course seeking to make history.
His two under par 70 on Saturday places him atop the leaderboard by a shot over Brooks Koepka and by two over Louis Oosthuizen.
For a while Saturday, it appeared Mickelson would run off and hide. He had five birdies and no bogeys thru his first ten holes to get to ten under par for the tournament and a five-shot lead. But a bogey at #12 and a double bogey at #13 brought him back to the field. Mickelson parred in from there to settle for the one-shot lead.
Koepka caught Mickelson with a birdie at the 16th, but he lost his share of the lead when he missed a seven-foot par putt on the 18th for a bogey and a round of two under 70.
Oosthuizen shot an even par 72 wiping out birdies at 11 and 12 with bogeys at #13 and #17.
Third-Round Leaderboard
Phil Mickelson 70-69-70—209 (-7)
Brooks Koepka 69-71-70—210 (-6)
Louis Oosthuizen 71-68-72—211 (-5)
Kevin Streelman 70-72-70—212 (-4)
Christian Bezuidenhout 71-70-72—213 (-3)
Branden Grace 70-71-72—213 (-3)
