Bradley ties with Mickelson

Mickelson, winner of last week's Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, fired a one-under-par 70 in dazzling afternoon sunshine at the Riviera Country Club to tie for the lead with Keegan Bradley (66).

Starting the day with a one-shot lead, Mickelson mixed two birdies with a solitary bogey to move on to a seven-under-par total on a course where he also triumphed in 2008 and 2009.

The left-hander made a good start with a two-putt birdie at the par-five first to remain a shot in front.

He bogeyed the par-three fourth after failing to reach the green off the tee and then made par the next five holes to reach the turn at six under, tied for the lead with Bradley and Dustin Johnson.

Watched by huge galleries, Mickelson picked up another shot at the par-five 11th, after hitting a superb utility wood from the fairway on to the fringe of the green and two-putting, to briefly lead by two.

Scrambling

"This was a great round for me because I did not play well."
Phil Mickelson Quotes of the week

Bradley moved into a share of the lead with birdies at the 16th and 17th, with Mickelson mainly scrambling pars during the last seven holes.

He had chances to regain the outright lead over the closing stretch but narrowly missed a 10-foot birdie putt at the 16th and failed to birdie the par-five 17th after driving into the left rough.

"This was a great round for me because I did not play well," Mickelson said after hitting only seven of 14 fairways and watching his tee shot at the par-four 15th end up in the hem of a spectator's shorts.

"Yesterday and today I didn't play the best. I wasn't far off. I hit some good shots at times that didn't quite turn out, but I was playing very defensive all day just trying to make pars.

"Now, there's a lot of players that are right in it, within a couple shots of the lead, and it's going to take a good round tomorrow. But I'm pleased that I put myself in it."

"I feel very comfortable out there," Bradley said after carding six birdies and one bogey. "I love the golf course. It fits my eye very well and I seem to be able to figure out these greens, which makes it a lot easier."

Last year's PGA Championship winner said he was delighted to be playing with his mentor Mickelson in Sunday's final round.

"I really look up to him... and any time you play with Phil means you're playing pretty well," Bradley, 25, added.

"I love Phil. Everything he's done for me is great, and if I didn't win tomorrow, I would hope he would."

Americans Bryce Molder (66), Jonathan Byrd (69) and Pat Perez (70) were a further shot back in a tie for third at six under, while Johnson (67) stands in a tie on five under.

Big day

"Tomorrow is a big day for me," Mickelson added. "I've led from start to finish here, or all the way, and I would like to do it to the finish. I love this golf course."

Meanwhile, British world number one Luke Donald, playing his first event on the 2012 PGA Tour, carded a 71 to end the day seven strokes off the pace in a tie for 26th.