• US Open: What They Said

Mickelson takes heart from 'one of my greatest shots'

Luke Donald just could not get his putter going © AP

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Phil Mickelson has a one shot lead heading into the final round of the US Open, thanks primarily to "one of the best shots I've ever hit" at the 17th. It resulted in a birdie, as he leapfrogged to the front of proceedings at Merion oncemore.

"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 was just right down the centre 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."

He added: "I love being in the thick of it. I've had opportunities in years past, and it has been so fun, even though it's been heartbreaking to come so close a number of times and let it slide. But I feel better equipped than I have ever felt heading into the final round of a US Open. My ball striking is better than it's ever been. My putting is better than it has been in years, and I feel very comfortable on this golf course. I love it."

The heartbreak on Saturday was Luke Donald's, as he wasted 16 holes of good work as he finished with a bogey and double-bogey. He said: "I played a solid round today other than those last two holes. Could have been even better. Through 16 holes, I could have been four‑ or five‑under and really was playing as good a golf as I played for awhile. Pretty much in control my ball and I'll forget about those two holes and carry on tomorrow."

Mickelson will be paired by Hunter Mahan for Sunday's final round, after the American shot 69 despite closing with two bogeys.

Mahan said: "It's exciting. I feel like my game's been good for a while and I felt like this course suits me pretty well. The US Open does. I'm a good ball‑striker I've got my short game a little bit better to kind of save those big up‑and‑downs and make those six‑, eight‑footers for par and I felt like I did that today. And it feels good to be in the hunt and be in contention."

Charl Schwartzel was leading for much of the day, and is only one back despite also falling foul of Merion's closing two holes: "Obviously it's going to be a tough day, but every day has felt like that. You're going to have to give every single shot all your attention. There's no hole where you can sort of ease back and sort of freewheel a bit. Every shot that you hit is really intense."

Steve Stricker is also at the top of the leaderboard, and would dearly love to finally win a major championship as he moves into semi-retirement. He said: " It would mean a lot [to win a major]. It really would. But it's going to be a challenge tomorrow. I'm not the longest hitter in the field. There's some holes out here that I have to really work hard to make pars on."

Justin Rose is also in the hunt, one-over alongside Donald. He noted: "One or two shots on this golf course can disappear in a heartbeat. There's a lot of momentum swings out here. I feel like I'm in great position. If you would have said to me, Thursday morning, hey, this is where you're going to be entering Sunday, I would absolutely have taken it."

The seventh player within two shots of Mickelson's lead is the American's other playing partner on Saturday, Billy Horschel.

"I always wake up anxious. I always want to get to the golf course," he said. "And obviously when I'm up there near the lead, it's even more. When I get to the golf course I feel good.

"But obviously it's a major championship. I'm trying to think of it just as another tournament, but it's tough to do that. But I feel good. I feel more comfortable coming from behind. I don't know why that is. I've always been like that my whole life. I would like to have the lead going into the final round, that's always a great thing to have, so maybe one day I can. There's many more years of chances of that for me. But I feel comfortable coming from behind, I feel like I'm in a good position that I can go out, post a good number, and see what happens."

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