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Mickelson takes three shot lead with 64

Phil Mickelson fired an eight-under 64 on Saturday to grab a three-shot lead at 20-under 196 after the third round of the Compaq Classic.

Mickelson set a new 54-hole record for this event, as he topped the previous mark of 198 set by Chip Beck in 1988. Mickelson's 64 is one off his career best round of 63, which he posted eight times, most recently in the final round of the 2000 Colonial, a tournament that he came from behind to win.

Harrison Frazar is alone in second at 17-under, followed by two-time U.S. Open champion Ernie Els at minus-15.

Mickelson began the day tied at the top with Brian Gay, but saw the lead evaporate as players went low early at the English Turn Golf & Country Club with a scoring average for the field of 68.58.

The world-number-two got into red figures with a 12-foot birdie putt at the third hole, but did not collect his next birdie until the seventh when he played a sand wedge to 15 feet for the birdie. That birdie began a run of five in a row for Mickelson, as he began to distance himself from the field.

At eight, Mickelson's highly-touted short game took over as he missed the green right but chipped in for birdie from 45 feet. He drained a five-footer at nine and then ran home an eight-foot birdie putt at 10 to go to 17-under.

His short game was on display again at the 11th when he missed the green short in two and then chipped to two feet for birdie at the par-five hole.

Mickelson collected a strange birdie at No. 13 when he played his approach shot 15 feet short of the hole. Gay, his playing partner on Saturday, landed his second shot on top of Mickelson's ball, sending it flying off the green. Mickelson marked his ball in its original position and holed the birdie effort.

The lefthander narrowly missed a birdie left at the 14th, but saved birdie at the par-five 15th after he drove into a bunker and was forced to lay up. Mickelson played a soft nine-iron shot to 15 feet where he drilled another birdie putt.

Mickelson hit a six-iron right at the hole on 17, but the ball never fed off the slope on the green and stayed 25 feet short. That did not seem to matter to Mickelson because he stepped up and knocked that birdie putt home.

The only mistake of the round came at the closing hole as he mis-hit his second into the right greenside bunker. Mickelson blasted out to five feet but failed to convert the par save.

Mickelson has been solid this season with three third-place finishes, including the Masters, and a runner-up. His lone win of the season came when he outlasted Frank Lickliter and Davis Love III in a playoff at the Buick in San Diego.

"Winning would mean a lot to me," said Mickelson."I've had a number of opportunities this year where I've come up just short -- seconds and thirds.

"I've had a lot of opportunities to win and only one win to show for it. So I certainly feel this would be a very important win for me. It would be a big confidence booster for me if I was able to withstand the challenge and come out on top."

Frazar was hot early with birdies at his first three holes. He added four more along the way with a bogey at the eighth for a six-under 66.

Frazar has finished in the top-three the last two years here but has never won on tour. He had the third-round lead here last year, but double-bogeyed the 17th on Sunday to drop into third.

"I've just got to go out and keep hitting fairways, hitting it close and making some putts," Frazar said. "It's a pretty simple recipe."

Three players fired 63s on Sunday: David Toms, Scott Hoch and Charles Howell, the former NCAA champion who turned pro last year. Toms and Gay are tied for fourth at 14-under par. Howell is alone in sixth at minus-13, while Hoch is tied with Stephen Ames, Steve Lowery and Brad Fabel at 12-under 204.

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