Lefty withstands an ace from Quinney to keep the lead at Riviera
LOS ANGELES -- Phil Mickelson saved par on the 18th hole for a 1-under 70 Saturday to stay in the lead at the Northern Trust Open and move one step closer to adding this trophy to his West Coast collection.
Mickelson watched Jeff Quinney make a hole-in-one on the fabled sixth hole at Riviera Country Club that erased a four-shot margin. Quinney made a 35-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 67 that set up what appears to be a two-man race in the final round.
Mickelson, whose 15 victories on the U.S. PGA Tour's "West Coast Swing" have come in every city but Los Angeles, was at 11-under 202. He missed the green to the right on the final hole, chipped 7 feet by and saved par.
"I thought it was a good, solid round," Mickelson said. "It should be an interesting and tough day tomorrow."
Quinney delivered the best shot, and maybe the worst.
Along with his hole-in-one that he could hear, but not see, Quinney bladed a wedge over the green on the par-5 11th that led to a two-shot swing in Mickelson's favor, then spent the rest of the sunny afternoon trying to catch up.
Quinney was at 203, four shots ahead of everyone else.
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| Phil Mickelson is pumped to still be leading at Riviera. (Getty Images) |
"Other than Tiger, he's probably the next best front-runner," Verplank said of Mickelson, who has won 21 of 28 times after leading following the third round. "He's awful good. So I'm going to have to play exceptionally well, and probably then would need a little bit of help."
Mickelson also had a one-shot lead last year going into the final round, losing in a playoff to Charles Howell. There were five players within three shots of the lead a year ago, but only Quinney, a former U.S. Amateur champion who has not won on the PGA Tour, appears to be in his way this time.
"He's going to bring a lot to the table," Quinney said. "I have to bring my best to the table."
