A rivalry that was renewed six weeks ago at the Tour Championship in Atlanta continued when Woods stalled with pars and Mickelson sank three birdies over the last five holes for his five-under round to be on 14-under 202 with a two-shot lead over both Woods and Nick Watney at Sheshan International.
In the quiet of the clubhouse dining room, Mickelson could only imagine what it would be like when he played in the final group with Woods for the first time in more than four years.
Smiling and raising his glass in a mock toast, he said: “And he’s got to give me one shot a side. I know we are both looking forward to it. I think it will be a fun day, and we are excited to be playing in the last group here.”
It will be the first time the world’s top two players have been in the final group since the famous “Duel at Doral” in 2005, when Woods rallied from a two-shot deficit to win by one stroke.
Woods wasn’t pleased to be in this position. He took his first outright lead of the tournament with a 15-foot birdie putt on the eighth, and after another 15-foot birdie putt on the 10th, his lead was up to two.
That turned out to be his last of the round, however. He missed one opportunity on the par-5 14th, badly missed a six-foot birdie putt on the 16th and finished his round by driving into the rough and hitting his approach into the bunker on the par-5 18th, having to save par for a two-under 70.
“I didn’t putt as well as I did the first two days,” said Woods, who had opened with successive 67s.
Watney, who completes an all-Californian final group, produced a three-putt bogey on the 17th before sinking a 50-foot eagle on the 18th for a 70.
Ryan Moore, who qualified for the event by winning for the first time on the PGA Tour in August, had a 70 and was another shot back.
Lee Westwood, who is leading the Race to Dubai on the European Tour, did himself a huge favour with eight birdies in a round of 65, leaving him well in the mix at 10-under 206.
Mickelson started only one shot behind and briefly shared the lead on a couple of occasions with three birdies in the opening five holes. His lone bogey came on the ninth, and even then he found a positive.
Trapped against the bushes, Lefty played right-handed back to the fairway. It reminded him of the 12th hole at Doral in March, when he also played a right-handed shot on his way to winning his first World Golf Championship. “I thought that might have been a good omen, even though it led to a bogey,” Mickelson said.
He came to life with a wedge into the strong wind to six feet on the 14th, then smashed a tee shot so far on the 487-yard 15th that it went through the fairway and left him only a 9-iron, which he hit to 15 feet. He pumped his fist when the birdie putt fell, giving him the outright lead for the first time.
Hustling across the street towards the 16th tee, he grinned: “Somebody’s got his putter back.” He is still gleaming from going back to his old style of putting, which carried him to victory in the Tour Championship six weeks ago and helped him to an unbeaten record in the Presidents’ Cup.
It has taken him to another chapter in the best rivalry of this generation, one that Woods still dominates. They were paired together this year at the US Masters, where both lit up Augusta National with birdies until they ran out of holes, having started too far off the lead. Mickelson won a tournament the last time they played together in a final round, at the 2007 Deutsche Bank Championship (although they weren’t in the final group).
Woods has attracted the largest crowds here, but not by much. And with them sep-arated by only one group, there was hardly an empty space along the ropes over two holes.
Asked if he was excited about a potential battle between the world’s top two, Woods said: “Yeah. You just go play, no matter who is out in front, whether it’s Phil or someone else. You want to win a tourn-ament, you have to go out there and play and execute. You get into your own little world and try and do the best you poss-ibly can, and hopefully you can come out on top.”
