LOS ANGELES — Phil Mickelson hit one tree, threaded a shot through five trees and hit a drive that wound up in a spectator’s shorts. He somehow managed a 1-under-par 70 on Saturday to share the lead with PGA champion Keegan Bradley at the Northern Trust Open.
Bradley, inspired by a Riviera course that is one of his favorites, needed only five putts over the final five holes, including a 10-footer for par on the last hole, for a 5-under 66 that assured him of being in the final group.
“This was a great round for me because I did not play well, and I shot 1-under and I’m atop the leaderboard,” Mickelson said.
Mickelson and Bradley were at 7-under 206, though this is hardly a two-man race. Pat Perez (70), Jonathan Byrd (69) and Bryce Molder (66), who one-putted the last eight greens, five of them for par, were one back.
A dozen players were within four shots, including defending champion Aaron Baddeley (66), Dustin Johnson (67) and FedEx Cup champion Bill Haas (68).
Johnson was tied for the lead until he botched the end of his round. He made a bogey from a bunker on the 16th, then three-putted for a bogey from just outside 3 feet on the 17th. He finished with a birdie.
