• US Open: Plays of the Day

Mickelson and Mahan catch the eye - in different ways

Hunter Mahan's outfit caught the eye of Butch Harmon © AP

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That's what makes him a winner

Phil Mickelson started with the lead on Saturday, soon lost it - and then reclaimed it right before the close of play. The four-time major champion did it in spectacular fashion, booming a fantastic long-iron in to eight-feet at the treacherous 17th, and holing the putt.

Only Steve Stricker and Billy Horschel, of those playing the hole within an hour of Mickelson, even managed to par the monster par-three. It was a huge moment in the tournament.

You take the rough with the smooth

Luke Donald played well for 16 holes ... and then terribly for two. Those two closing holes cost him three shots against par, sending him tumbling out of the lead (by two shots) and marginalising his chances of victory on Sunday.

A double-bogey at the 18th was his biggest mistake, a tired long-iron into the green finding a truly horrid spot short and right of the putting surface. The lie? One of the worst Donald has ever seen.

"The rough has been tough this week, but I've never seen a lie like that," a downbeat Donald said afterwards. "It was unfortunate, I didn't deserve much better, I shouldn't have been over there, but if I had a decent lie, I probably would have had a putt for four."

History repeated

Merion has hosted the Open four times before - and on each occasion it was one by a player who had previously won a major before. That must be music to the ears of Mickelson and Charl Schwartzel - the only two near the top of the leaderboard with such an accomplishment on their CV.

Unless Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods (eight-over and nine-over respectively) produce that round of 62 everyone has been talking about tomorrow, that is...

Tiger's chunk

Even the best are well capable of the old-fashioned chunk. Tiger Woods is the best around and he was left with egg on his face on the sixth. His approach came just up short, meaning he had to chip for a birdie rather than get out the putter. His fourth shot ended up further away than his third, as he made poor contact, did not get high enough up the green and the ball rolled all the way off the front and he ended up making bogey.

Dressing up in the dark?

Butch Harmon may or may not be a sharp, snappy dresser. But he does seem to have an opinion on fashion as he teed off at Hunter Mahan's attire on the third day.

After seeing Mahan miss a putt early on, Harmon said: "This is without doubt the worst looking outfit I have ever seen. He must have got dressed in the dark."

A red top, grey trousers, multi-coloured shoes and a light-blue cap was Mahan's outfit of choice. Having thought about it, Harmon probably has a point.

Top chip

Charley Hoffman has a pretty outlandish haircut. It could do with a cut if we're honest, but he can actually play golf - as he showed with a chip in for a birdie on the par five fourth. He appeared to have no shot in the deep rough, but he flopped the ball out, gravity took over and it crashed into the pin before dropping. One lucky fan had a souvenir, as Hoffman tossed his ball into the crowd.

"On the tee I'm just thinking three," Mickelson said. "I just want to hit the green and make par and see if I could make a putt.

"But the 4‑iron I hit, I just stood there and admired it, it was one of the best shots I've ever hit. I mean it just was right down the center of the green and I was hoping it would kind of get the right bounces and so forth and it did. It left me a beautiful uphill putt that I could be aggressive with and I made it. And it was ‑ that was fun to do that because that's just not a hole you expect to get one back."

Putt for dough

Not to rub it for poor old Luke, but just how well off would he be had he holed short putts at 12, 13 and 16? No more than 20-feet combined, the Englishman cannot say he did not have his chances. Will he get any more on Sunday?

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