Mickelson holds lead entering final round

He’s up by one stroke at the Crowne Plaza Invitational.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The frustration was evident on Phil Mickelson’s face during a slow start in the third round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational.

Lefty was feeling a lot better — and still in the lead alone — when he finished the third round Saturday with a 17-foot birdie putt from the front edge.

“A nice way to finish the round,” Mickelson said.

Mickelson overcame an early bogey and some missed chances with seven birdies in his last 13 holes for a 5-under 65 that got him to 12-under 198. He led Rod Pampling (63) and Stephen Ames (64) by one stroke.

Pampling was on pace for a record-tying round at Colonial, the course near the Australian native’s Flower Mound home that he gets to play often. But he had consecutive bogeys at 16 and 17 before hitting his approach at No. 18 within a foot for a birdie that left him two strokes off the tournament record.

Ames started with three birdies in the first four holes and finished without a bogey.

Tim Clark (64) was alone in fourth, three strokes back. Ben Crane (67), Kevin Sutherland (68) and Brian Gay (69) were at 203.

This is the 27th time Mickelson will lead going into the final round of a tournament, and this time he will be going for his second plaid jacket at Colonial. He has gone on to win 19 times, including the Northern Trust Open in February, his only victory this season.

The last six Colonial champions led or were tied for the lead after 54 holes. The last time that didn’t happen was 2001, when then-defending champion Mickelson and Brett Quigley were tied going into the final round before Sergio Garcia won.

First-round leader Johnson Wagner took a triple-bogey at No. 5 after he knocked his tee shot at the course’s longest par-4 (472 yards) out of bounds into the trees along the Trinity River. He followed with a three-putt bogey at 6 on the way to a 73, and was nine strokes back.