Mickelson’s late birdies give him 2-stroke lead

SHANGHAI, China (AP) — Phil Mickelson is getting the hang of this travel thing very quickly.

A 35-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole and a tap-in birdie on No. 18 gave Mickelson a 4-under 68 and a two-stroke lead over Ross Fisher going into today’s final round of the HSBC Champions tournament.

Known for his reluctance to play outside the U.S., Mickelson is set to cash in on Asia’s richest tournament, a $5 million purse with $833,300 for the winner.

“I want to play well whether it’s the States, whether it’s here,” Mickelson said Saturday. “I want to want to compete and I want to have a chance to win. To me that’s what’s fun. It’s difficult to come this far and not play well.”

On his first trip to China — and his first to Asia — Mickelson has drawn the biggest galleries, been unfailingly polite and filled the Tiger Woods void. Woods played the HSBC event last year, failed to win and is not back this time.

Mickelson is looking to return home with only his second international victory. The first came 14 years ago in France.

Fisher also shot 68 on Saturday for a 12-under 204. Paul Casey carded a 66 to trail Mickelson by three. American Kevin Stadler, who had a one-stroke lead after two rounds, slipped to a 73 and fell four behind Mickelson.

Five players were in a group seven shots back including Vijay Singh (72), defending British Open champion Padraig Harrington (69) and defending tournament champion Yang Yong-eun (70) of South Korea.

From being a homebody, Mickelson is now preaching the virtues of world golf. The two-week trip to Asia has allowed him to test new equipment for next season, and it’s given him a profile in the world’s most populous country.

“I think it would be great for the game of golf if we can get people here in China to take an interest,” Mickelson said. “This is a great opportunity for the game to gain some interest in a part of the world that can have a huge impact on the game.”