Golf: Mickelson, Love tied for lead at Baltusrol

SPRINGFIELD - Phil Mickelson squandered a three-shot advantage during a front-nine tailspin before hanging on to share a one-stroke lead with Davis Love III after the US PGA Championship third round on Saturday.

Mickelson, three clear at the start of day three, registered three bogeys in his first six holes before getting back on track for a two-over-par 72 while fellow American Love posted a two-under 68 for matching totals of six-under 204.

Thomas Bjorn of Denmark was one shot back in third at 205 after firing a seven-under 63 that tied the record for the lowest score in a major championship.

Tied for fourth at 206 on a crowded leaderboard were defending champion Vijay Singh of Fiji, after a 69, unheralded American Pat Perez (67), 1995 PGA winner Steve Elkington (68) and fellow Australian Stuart Appleby (69).

Twice US Open champion Retief Goosen, Britons Lee Westwood and Greg Owen and Americans Jason Bohn and Ben Curtis were bunched at 207, three shots behind the co-leaders.

World number one Tiger Woods mounted a charge early in the day, posting a 66 to move to even-par 210 and lie six strokes off the pace. New Zealander Michael Campbell, at 1-under, is tied for 20th with Woods.

Mickelson said fighting his way back to maintain a share of the lead was a positive.

"It's a boost to still be in the lead after getting off to a bad start," said the amiable left-hander. "To still be in the lead is a big bonus."

Mickelson, who forged ahead with a rousing 65 on Friday that featured seven birdies and an eagle, had trouble staying out of the rough in the early holes on Saturday and came back to the pack with bogeys at the second, fifth and sixth holes.

That put Bjorn, who began the day 10 behind Mickelson, into a temporary share of the lead from the comfort of the clubhouse.

It also set up a tense struggle down the stretch on a swelteringly hot day that sent temperatures soaring near 38 degC.

Love looked poised to overtake Mickelson after opening with birdies on the first two holes, but the 1997 US PGA champion bogeyed back-to-back holes from the sixth and faded to three-under after a bogey at 10.

Birdies at 11, 13 and 15, however, lifted Love to six under.

Mickelson, meanwhile, steadied the ship and parred out the rest of the way save for a birdie at the 12th.

Love and Mickelson failed to take advantage of the par-five finishing holes as both took pars at 17 and 18.

Love, who missed the cut at last month's British Open, said something had just clicked in his game this week.

"It's a fine line between not playing well and playing well and I think I crossed that line," he said. "I just need to hit some fairways tomorrow and give myself some birdie putts."

Mickelson's struggles brought twice champion Woods back into the picture.

Woods, who had to birdie his last hole on Friday to make the cut, bounced back from his first two rounds with a 66 that could have been lower as he failed to take advantage of the closing par-fives.

"It's disappointing because I had opportunities on the back nine and could've been three shots better," said Woods, who looking for his third major win of the season after victories at the US Masters and British Open.

Bjorn, coming off a missed cut at the British Open and a tie for 52nd at the US Open in his last two majors, said he surprised himself with his Baltusrol performance.

"I came in here without many expectations," he said. "It was just one of those days. I got the breaks and I got the putts rolling in. It was just a special day."

The Dane's 63, the 22nd recorded in a major, also matched the record for the low round at the club's classic Lower Course shared by Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf.

Charles Howell posted the first ace of the tournament when his ball hopped into the hole at the 194-yard, par-three fourth. The lanky American, who began the day at one over par, shot a two-under 68 for a one-under 209 total.

- REUTERS