Birdies lift Mickelson atop Northern Trust

LOS ANGELES, Golden State (AP) Phil Mickelson represented golf as spectacular as the weather at the Northern Trust Open on Fri, coating with a 20-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 7-under 64 and a four-pipped lead.

Phil Mickelson hit his best-of all time round at Riviera to ramp into the halfway lead.

Even after beginning with a 68, Mickelson matted he was close to putt his secret plan unitedly. It beginned with a 3-iron to 12 feet on the par-5 first for a simple birdie, and reinforced momentum with a 60-foot birdie on the fifth and never slowed down.

When he ruined his best score of all time at Riviera, he was at 10-under 132 and in unbendable bid travelling into the weekend.

“This is a tournament that has evaded me,” Mickelson told of the only metropolis on the U.S. Occident Coast swing where he hasn’t acquired. “The West Coast way a pot to me.”

A twelvemonth ago he mislaid in a playoff.

Henry M Allenby, who acquired at Riviera in 2001 in the stale and rain, made OK in tender sunlight with a 66 that set him at 136 with Jeff Quinney, who got bogey on the final hole for a 67.

Mickelson and the top dozen players atop the leaderboard acquired one big break with the attracter by playacting early Thursday and in the good afternoon on Fri, basically fending off the potent of the current of air that gusted along the eucalyptus tree trees liner the fairways.

For those who faced up a dusty current of air on Thursday good afternoon and more whirling breezes on Fri morning time, the best anyone could muster was Saint David Tom (68) and Kevin Dame Joan Sutherland (69), each at 3-under 139.

For the sec consecutive four hour period, non everyone ruined the round.

“So there will be a Sat cut,” gagged Rory Sabbatini on his fashion to the 18th tee as the Sun started to souse slow the mound, and players were still simply devising the twist.

The Participants Advisory Council urged some other modification in insurance to a Saturday cut if the battlefield is more than 78 players. If sanctioned, that wouldn’t fall out until the Sunshine State swing at the earlier. Otherwise, when the cut is more than 78 players, only the nighest to 60 can represent on the weekend, and the ill “Rule 78″ appeared as though it could occur for the tierce time in five cases.

The cut won’t be got until six players finish the sec round early Sabbatum.

With the field of battle having 17 of the top 20 players in the universe, five of them lost the cut, and Sergio Garcia at 3 all over was on the brink of travelling home under Rule 78.

John Daly hit a 74 to complete at 1 all over, but got his first cut of the twelvemonth.

Scott McCarron, who almost gained this tournament in 2002, had got a 65 and was part of a large group at 5-under 137 that included George C Verplank, Chad Joseph Campbell and Vaughn Joseph Deems Taylor.

Mickelson wasn’t about to practise sitting with the prize, and no one was concession anything with 36 holes went forth to represent on a course that was acting degraded with the stiff weather.

“If Phil is at 10 under, that’s okay,” Allenby expressed. “There’s a tenacious fashion to go. There’s still 36 holes to go and a peck of shuttlecocks extinct there. I’ve got plenty of birds here earlier, so there’s no reason wherefore I can’t do it on the weekend.”

Quinney will join Mickelson and Allenby in the final group. Quinney got a late surge up the leaderboard, admitting birdies on the 12th and 15th hole.

Even so, Mickelson seems to be striking his stride.

He got down pull away after a three-putt bogey on the sixth hole, striking wedge to 2 feet on No. 7 and a spread wedge with the gentle wind at his back on No. 9 to 12 feet. After locomoting good went away of the par-4 10th, he broke off to a 3 feet for birdie, then acquired up-and-down for his fourth birdie in five holes at the par-5 11th.

Even potent was his finish, that started out with an par.

Mickelson locomoted recollective on the par-3 16th, departure himself a downhill chip that travelled about 12 feet by the golf hole. He got that for his par, that kept momentum on his face for the shutting holes.

“The large pipped that set up those two birdies was the par putt on 16,” Mickelson stated. “It kept momentum of the round travelling and it didn’t let the round kind of gaucherie away.”

Mickelson didn’t have an answer for wherefore he is acting so good on a course that was seldom part of his rotary motion. He has gained 15 multiplication in Calif and Grand Canyon State during his career, but never on the course off Sunset Avenue. Until last twelvemonth, Mickelson only acted this tournament eight multiplication, lacking the cut in half of them and never coming better than a necktie for 15th.

Mickelson has emphasised this is one tournament he wants to acquire, but kept that in view.

“I haven’t gained the U.S. or British Open, either, and I genuinely want to acquire those,” he informated. “Let’s non get before of ourselves.”

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February 17, 2008 · Filed Under General

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