Haas, Lefty lead; Woods falters

Associated Press

SAN DIEGO

The way Phil Mickelson likes to play golf, he didn’t have much fun Saturday at Torrey Pines.

Based on how he needs to play the South Course, Phil was thrilled.

Mickelson gave up on his swashbuckling style by playing it safe in the Farmers Insurance Open, making eight pars and a birdie on the back nine for a 4-under 68 that gave him a share of the lead with Bill Haas.

“This course doesn’t reward you for taking on any challenge,” Mickelson said. “Any my more conservative approach into the greens, albeit boring, has led me to be on top of the leaderboard.”

He was joined by Haas, who kept one shot ahead of Mickelson for most of the back nine until his wedge hopped hard on the firm green and went just over the back on the par-5 18th. He missed a 4-foot par putt and had to settle for a 1-under 71.

They were at 12-under 204, a stroke ahead of Hunter Mahan and Bubba Watson, who each made eagle on the 18th.

Tiger Woods, who has not lost at Torrey Pines in seven years, was nowhere to be found.

His start to a new season brought out a familiar result. Just like so much last year, Woods goes into a final round out of contention on a course where he once dominated. Woods made bogey from the second fairway with a wedge in his hand, and his day didn’t improve.

He shot a 2-over 74, ending his streak of 21 straight rounds at par or better on the South Course in a tour event.

“I did not play well at all today,” said Woods, who was eight shots behind. “It was a struggle all day, and I finally found something at 16. But 15 holes already had gone by, so that was pretty frustrating.”