Deutsche Bank Championship

Mickelson puts Tiger's No. 1 spot at risk at TPC Boston

ESPN staff

September 5, 2010 « Hardy's the toughest opponent I've faced - Condit | ESPN FA Cup Promo »

Phil Mickelson fired a 67 on day three © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

Phil Mickelson took a huge step towards snatching the world No. 1 position from Tiger Woods by storming into contention for the Deutsche Bank Championship on the third day at TPC Boston.

The Masters winner is guaranteed to move to the summit of the rankings for the first time in his career if he wins the tournament and Woods finishes outside the top three - and he gave himself every chance of securing the triumph by firing a four-under 67 that moves him to 12-under through 54 holes.

Mickelson was peerless from the tee as he produced both unparalleled distance and laser-guided accuracy, averaging over 300 yards with the driver and hitting 86% of his fairways. Birdies were an inevitable consequence, and he recorded five in all as he surged up the leaderboard.

"I just wanted to turn it around - I had a poor week last week, and I wanted to finish strong this year and I just wasn't played the way I'd hoped, so I feel like I was getting back on track [today]," Mickelson said. "These last couple of days have been better and the last day should be fun too."

Jason Day heads the field at 17-under, one ahead of Brandt Snedeker, with Luke Donald two back.

Elsewhere, Woods remains on course to secure one of Corey Pavin's Ryder Cup wildcard picks after firing a 69 that takes him to seven-under. The world No. 1 saw his difficulties on the greens continue - he required 29 putts - but his work from the tee looked to have benefited from the changes he has made to his swing.

The American was three-under through his first seven holes, but his round stuttered in its midsection - bogeys at nine and 14 - before he ended on a high-note with a birdie at 18. "Today was a little bit of a struggle, I didn't make any putts today," Woods said. "I got off to a poor start but I found it, although I still didn't make any putts.

"These are new adjustments so I have to learn the principles, so it's new and today it was interesting with the wind blowing - I always like to revert back to my old stuff when the wind blows - so it was a challenge to try and focus and be committed to what I was doing, and I think I did a pretty good job of that during the middle part of the round."

Paul Casey found himself scrambling to rescue himself from testing situations after struggling to find the short grass from the tee. He hit half his fairways, so a level-par 71 that takes him to four-under was testament to his work with the irons and on the greens. He is joined at four-under by Rory McIlroy, who went some way to banishing the demons of Saturday's 76 by posting a 69.