Mickelson Still Trails Lickliter

Phil Mickelson did everything but catch Frank Lickliter in the third round of the Phoenix Open.

He’ll get another chance today.

Lickliter hung onto a one-shot lead over the 1996 Phoenix champion by shooting a two-under-par 69 on Saturday for a 54-hole total of 13-under 200 at Scottsdale, Ariz. Mickelson’s charge seemed to have an effect when Lickliter, a non-winner in four years on tour, bogeyed the 18th hole minutes after Mickelson birdied it.

“I was trying to make those putts and I got pretty aggressive with them,� said Lickliter, who has bettered his previous season each year on tour. “I was trying to get a little separation.�

Robert Allenby was alone in third, two shots back, with Paul Stankowski, Hal Sutton, Steve Flesch and second-round leader Tom Lehman bunched at 203. Lehman shot a 73 after playing the first two rounds with just one bogey.

“The way [Lickliter] played the first two rounds, I certainly thought he was going to have another three-, four- or five-under-par round. So I feel very fortunate that my six-under round got me in contention,� said Mickelson, whose 65 matched the best score of the day.

His 63 Thursday was worth a share of the first-round lead with Lehman, but Mickelson put himself in a hole the second day with a 73.

Lickliter has been in the money in all three tournaments this year, but followed his 62 in the fourth round at the Bob Hope last week with a 74 to tie for 28th. He said he learned something that might help in his first experience at defending a solo lead.

“I wasn’t very patient that day, and my expectations might have been a little high after shooting a 62, with no bogeys that day,� Lickliter said. “So now I’m just trying to stay extra patient.�

David Toms had a 66 to pull to 204 with defending champion Rocco Mediate and Scott Gump.

Tom Byrum, Kirk Triplett and Mark Calcavecchia, a two-time champion, had the other 66s of the day, forming a seven-player group at 205 that included former Phoenix winner Vijay Singh, Billy Mayfair, Bradley Hughes and Mike Weir.

Mickelson got back into the chase with birdies on four of five holes midway through the round. He bogeyed the 12th, but regained his momentum when he reached the island green of the par-five 15th hole with his second shot and sank a 12-foot eagle putt.

That got him to 11 under.

Lickliter went 13 under and moved two shots ahead of everyone when he birdied the 10th hole, holing a five-foot putt that ran around the rim before dropping.

He faltered on the next hole with a bogey, but Lehman also bogeyed and went to 10 under, getting no closer.

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Gary Player, shut out through the first 18 holes, staged the biggest comeback in the history of the Senior Skins Game with a birdie on the first playoff hole to win four skins and a $220,000 jackpot at Mauna Lani, Hawaii.

Player trailed throughout the match as Senior PGA Tour rookie Tom Watson jumped off to a big lead, winning $210,000 with seven skins through the first 14 holes at the Mauna Lani South Course on the Big Island.

Jack Nicklaus finished in third place with four skins and $90,000 and Arnold Palmer’s three skins were good for $80,000.

Although he failed to win a skin through the first 18 holes, Player started gaining momentum late in the round, making birdie on each of the final three holes. The holes were halved, however, with Watson matching the birdies.

It was the biggest turnaround since 1991 when Nicklaus holed out on the third extra hole to go from $25,000 to $310,000 and wrest the championship trophy from Lee Trevino.

The title was Player’s first since he won the inaugural Skins Game in 1983 and the skin on the first extra hole was his first since the 12th hole in the 1989 event.

Nicklaus got the event off to a big start, rolling in an eagle putt on the 535-yard first hole.

Watson, the youngest in the quartet at 50, moved ahead of the group with birdies on the next two holes and built a seemingly insurmountable lead when he birdied the 413-yard 14th. It was worth five skins and his $170,000 put him $100,000 ahead of Nicklaus.

But none of the players was able to pick up another skin after the 14th, setting the stage for Player’s amazing comeback.