Springfield, N.J. – A crowded leaderboard put some heat on Phil Mickelson, as if the left- hander wasn’t stressed enough in 100-degree temperatures Saturday at the 87th PGA Championship.
Starting his third round in midafternoon – about the time weather forecasters suggested area residents seek air conditioning or a swimming pool – Mickelson kept his head above water and his name atop the scoreboard.
But he has company.
Davis Love III, who like Mickelson is aiming for his second major championship, moved into a tie for the lead with a 54-hole score of 204. That’s 6-under par on Baltusrol’s demanding 7,392-yard layout.
Mickelson held a three-shot lead and stood 8-under par after 36 holes, but bogeyed three of his first six holes. After wiping his brow and steadying his swing, Mickelson played his last 12 holes in 1-under par to finish with a 2-over 72. Relieved, he knew it could have been worse.
“I thought for me to still be in the lead is a huge success for the day,” said Mickelson, whose best finish in a major this year has been 10th at the Masters.
Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn tied the course record Saturday and became the 22nd player in history to shoot a 63 in a major championship, vaulting to third place entering today’s final round. He stands just a stroke back behind the co-leaders at 205. Seventeen players begin the day within five strokes of Love and Mickelson.
Six shots back is Tiger Woods, who shot a 4-under 66 but missed a chance to become a factor when he failed to make birdie on the par-5 17th and 18th.
It’s bunched at the top, which came as no surprise to Love.
“Just because the second- round lead is 8-under doesn’t mean it’s going to be 16,” Love said. “In a major, it gets harder and harder. The greens have firmed up and the fairways have firmed up. It’s harder to get it close to the hole and harder to make putts.”
Mickelson didn’t make a birdie until rolling in a 15-footer on No. 12. He needed 33 putts, eight more than required Friday in his second round. He got away with hitting only seven fairways Friday. But not this time, when he hit only seven again.
“I felt like I fought hard to stay in the lead,” Mickelson said. “It’s going to be fun tomorrow. Being in the last group, Davis and I will know what we need to do.”
Love and Mickelson consider themselves friends. They have much in common. Mickelson’s only major championship is the 2004 Masters. Love won the 1997 PGA at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, N.Y., for his only major title.
Mickelson didn’t want to discuss past disappointments and the pressure of seeking a second major. Love, however, conceded he probably has underachieved in his professional career, which spans 20 years.
“If I could explain golf, I’d be a genius,” Love said. “I don’t know why it hasn’t happened. Arrogantly, you think if you win one (major), the rest of them are easy. The second one is just as hard.
“One major puts you in ‘the club.’ But it’s just in the club. Four or five of them puts you in superstar status.”
Bjorn’s 63 matched the course record established by Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf in the 1980 U.S. Open.
“This 63 is not about records; it’s about this championship,” Bjorn said. “I got myself into position.”
Although his native Denmark rarely reaches 80 degrees, Bjorn did not appear bothered by the heat.
“We get a lot of practice (for the heat) on our European Tour in the early part of the season, when we play in Asia and Australia,” he said. “I’ve come to the far corners of the world to play golf, so this is nothing new to me.
“I come from Denmark, but I certainly use the whole planet as my playground.”
Lurking at 4-under and not to be overlooked is Vijay Singh, the defending champion. Just two strokes off the lead, he was not surprised to see the logjam that had occurred by day’s end.
“I saw the leaderboard and wanted to get some momentum going,” Singh said. “It didn’t happen, but I’m in good shape.”
Staff writer Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-820-5456 or tkensler@denverpost.com.
