Mercedes Championships
La Costa Resort & Spa
Carlsbad, California
8th - 11th January 1998

Par 72 Prize Money $1.7 million

Third Round Report

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Second Round Report
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First Round Report
First Round Scores

Mickelson leads Duval by one

Carlsbad, California. 10th January 1998 - Phil Mickelson, whose history of early-season success includes a victory at this event, collected seven birdies today en route to a 4-under-par 68 and a one-shot lead after the third round of the $1.7 million Mercedes Championships.

Mickelson, one of only two players with three rounds in the 60s, completed his second round earlier today, then grabbed sole possession of the lead at 13-under 203 through 54 holes of the rain-plagued season-opening event.

David Duval, trying to become the first golfer in 45 years to win four straight PGA Tour starts, fired a 6-under 66 to surge into second place at 12-under 204.

First-round leader John Cook posted his second straight 70 and is tied for third at 11-under with Nick Price of Zimbabwe, who carded a 69.

Gabriel Hjertstedt, the first Swede to win on the PGA Tour and the only other player with three rounds in the 60s, shot 69 and is tied with New Zealand's Frank Nobilo at 10-under 206. Nobilo had a 70.

The last two winners of this tournament, Tiger Woods and Florida neighbour Mark O'Meara, are tied at 8-under 208. Woods, who won here last year, recorded a 69 that included four birdies and a bogey. O'Meara, the 1996 champion, marred an otherwise spectacular round with a triple-bogey at the par-4 15th hole and settled for a 67.

The second round was completed this afternoon after play was suspended late Friday. For the second straight year, rain has affected the event, which begins the official PGA Tour season. Last year, Woods won the rain-shortened tourney in a playoff over Tom Lehman for the first of four victories that propelled him to the top of the money list with a record $2,066,833.

Mickelson, who defeated Fred Couples in a playoff to win the 1994 tournament, had birdies at the second, sixth, ninth, 10th, 12th, 13th and 16th holes. But he missed a 2 1/2-foot par putt at the par-3 seventh hole and a three-footer at the par-3 11th. The left-hander had a two-shot lead before two-putting from 20 feet for bogey at 18.

"It was a good day, only in the sense that I'm leading," said Mickelson. "But it wasn't really the way I wanted to play the golf course. I made too many mistakes. But fortunately, they were offset by a couple of birdies. Tomorrow, I want to play steadier and try to minimize mistakes."

Mickelson has 11 career victories on the PGA Tour, including seven in the first three months of the year. He won only twice in 1997 and finished 11th on the money list with $1,225,390.

"(This year) is a very important year for me because '97 was not the year I envisioned and hoped for," Mickelson said. "I want to make up for it in '98."

Duval, who shared the best round of the day, collected seven birdies and only one bogey. But he downplayed his potentially history-making achievement.

"It's something I'd very much like to do, but I can't make it into something more than it is," he said. "I haven't made a big deal out of it, like others have. If I win, it would technically be four in a row, but it doesn't necessarily feel like that."

Duval has played in at least three unofficial events in between victories at the Michelob Championship, the Walt Disney Classic and the Tour Championship. But a win at this tournament would make him the first player since Byron Nelson in 1953 to capture four straight PGA Tour starts.

The Mercedes Championships is limited to 1997 tournament winners and 30 of the 31 victors are competing. Bill Glasson, who won the Las Vegas Invitational, is recovering from arm surgery.