Ft. Worth, TX (Best E Casino) - Phil Mickelson birdied the final hole Saturday to take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.
Mickelson used a hot back nine to shoot five-under 65 and completed 54 holes at 12-under-par 198.
The left-hander owned the 54-hole lead for the 27th time in his PGA Tour career. He has won two of his last three and 11 of 14 when owning at least a piece of the 54-hole lead.
"It was a nice way to finish the round. There might be an advantage to not being in the last group because as I was watching guys make birdies in front of me, it was a lot more difficult to stay patient," Mickelson stated. "I think there is an advantage to being able to go out early and make a run. That's how I was able to win it in 2000."
Rod Pampling fired a seven-under 63 to climb into a share of second place at 11-under-par 199. He was joined there by Stephen Ames, who carded a 64.
Tim Clark, who has just one top-20 finish this season, posted a 64 to move into fourth at minus-nine.
Brian Gay, Kevin Sutherland and Ben Crane share fifth place at minus-seven at Colonial Country Club.
Mickelson fell behind early in the round as he dropped a shot at the par-four second. He recovered that lost stroke with a birdie on the sixth.
The 2000 champion nearly holed his approach at the ninth, but settled for a kick-in birdie that ignited him.
Mickelson followed with a birdie on the 10th and made it three in a row as he got up and down for birdie from a greenside bunker on the 11th. That streak got Mickelson to 10-under, where he was two behind Pampling.
At the 12th, Mickelson tripped to another bogey, but that was his last mistake of the round. As Pampling stumbled late, Mickelson made his move.
He ran home a nine-footer for birdie on the 14th and followed with a five-foot birdie putt at 15 that gave him a piece of the lead at 11-under.
"The approach on 14 was a nine-iron out of the bunker, so that nine-iron has been good to me," stated Mickelson. "I was just trying to turn it with the wind and get it somewhat by the hole."
Mickelson spun his last approach to 18 feet and drained the birdie putt to finish one clear of Ames and Pampling.
"The last couple of holes, I was trying to get one birdie those last two and I was able to get it at 18 and it was a nice way to finish the round." said Mickelson.
Pampling got off to a flying start as he birdied three of his first four holes to jump to seven-under. He dropped in back-to-back birdie efforts from the sixth and again from the 11th to move into the lead at 11-under.
The Australian birdied the par-four 14th to move two clear of Ames. However, Pampling faltered to bogeys on 16 and 17 to drop out of the lead. His second at the last stopped within two feet of the hole and he tapped in for a closing birdie.
"We don't play that many par-70 courses, so you don't really think of it," stated Pampling of his thoughts on whether shooting 59 had crossed his mind.
Ames matched Pampling's hot start with birdies on one, two and four, then parred the final five hole of the opening nine.
Around the turn, Ames birdied the 10th and made it two in a row with a birdie on the 11th. Ames poured in a 24-foot birdie putt on the 16th to briefly take the lead at 11-under. He parred out to end in second.
Corey Pavin, a two-time winner at this tournament, posted his second straight 69 on Saturday. He stands alongside Briny Baird, Mark Brooks, Jerry Kelly, Matt Kuchar, Geoff Ogilvy, Tommy Armour III, Paul Goydos, Brian Bateman, Mark Wilson, Jeff Quinney, Lucas Glover and Vaughn Taylor in eighth place at five- under-par 205.
