Mickelson takes the lead at Pebble Beach

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) – Far away from the commotion of the celebrities Saturday at Pebble Beach, the most accomplished star among golfers quietly went about his business.

The 45-year-old Mickelson was at 16-under 199. Mickelson was 23 for 23 on putts inside of 6 feet this week.

The spotlight will be all his in the final round.

He’s now made 50 PGA Tour starts without winning, since the British Open in July 2013. The 39-year-old Taylor also gets a two-year exemption, meaningful for a guy who lost his card after 2012.

Having been subjected to the errant hacking of television presenters, comedians and captains of American industry over the last few days, it is all about the serious business of who is going to win the Pebble Beach Pro-Am from now on.

It had been three years since he had a full PGA Tour card.

Mickelson said he didn’t drive it as well as he had earlier in the week, but he stayed patient and scrambled his way to the top. It wasn’t a pushover by any means. He, too, had a positive mindset based on the quality of his ball-striking generally, though some errant swings on Saturday had him summoning his new instructor Andrew Getson to Pebble to iron it out before his round on Sunday. Instead, he finished tied for fourth at 14-under with Freddie Jacobson.

He is 20-1 to win with a fifth of the odds available for a top-three finish, but 5-4 about him finishing in the top five looks a more solid punt. “I love that pressure, and it’s been a while since I felt that”. Kang is riding the wave of a tournament course record at Monterey Peninsula yesterday with an 11-under 60.

World No. 1 Jordan Spieth had another dreary day, needing a par on the final hole just to make the cut.

“I’m not in contention. It’s not good, but at the same time, I think I can get into a groove and not lose any hair over the back nine and just, I’m going to fire at some pins”.

“I tried not to let it bother me and I tried not to let it affect my family and my life, so I probably hid it pretty well, but it really started to bother me”.

He played at Pebble Beach with the rest of the celebrities, which is a tradition on this course, except that he teed off on the back nine and was on the opposite end of the golf course from the dancing, clowning and raucous atmosphere on a gorgeous day once the fog lifted.

One as gutty as Mickelson’s third round would nearly certainly get the job done. The crowd was large and loud, exhorting Mickelson to make one more birdie and force a playoff. Japan’s Hiroshi Iwata. Finally, there was just Mickelson left with a chance, and he came to the par-3 17th two shots behind. His 5-foot birdie caught the lip.

Taylor was No. 447 in the world and had never won a tournament against the best players.