PGA Championship leaderboard: Phil Mickelson makes major charge at Whistling Straits

The low 60s rounds and big jumps up the leaderboard are typically available at the PGA Championship more than any other major, and that’s once again the case this week. Whistling Straits can be a brutal test and crushes a pro who’s not especially sharp. It’s penal if you miss but if you’re on and hitting your spots, then a record round is out there this weekend. We’ve already seen Hiroshi Iwata, a player who looked awful and exasperated on Thursday, go out and match the all-time major championship scoring record Friday afternoon.

The low scores are out there again on Saturday. The weather is perfect and the conditions favorable after the course took on some rain overnight. The biggest mover of the earlier tee times is Phil Mickelson, the 2005 PGA winner. Mickelson has EIGHT birdies through his first 13 holes, and five in his last six. He’s one of the few players out there who really never thinks he’s out of it on the weekend and is more confident than anyone that he can post a new record 62. He said as much last month when he was in the same position at St. Andrews, starting the third round deep down the leaderboard.

Mickelson, who has two bogeys in addition to all those birdies, has moved 51 spots up the leaderboard with his 6-under through 13 hole run. He’s now in the top 10 -- the position probably won’t last unless the conditions and wind suddenly change for the worse. But he’s at least putting himself in a place where he could make an outside run on Sunday. The round has been vintage Phil -- he’s pulling off miraculous recoveries, hitting perfect pitch shots, telling his caddie Bones to pull the pin when he’s off the green and giving away a shot here or there to juuust put a truly special record round out of reach. His shot from a garbage spot on the 4th set the tone for what we knew was going to be a wild Phil run at it.

Four holes later, with an ever worse lie and more awkward stance, Mickelson pulled it off again at the 8th.

It’s been awesome to watch and provided a little early entertainment before the leaders tee off at Whistling Straits. Joining Phil with the round of the day are Boo Weekley and Victor Dubuisson, who are also 6-under on the round. Someone coming up behind them is going to post a comparable number, but few will do it with the drama of Mickelson. Here’s the early leaderboard:

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