Mickelson and Sutherland share Pebble Beach lead

PEBBLE BEACH, California, Feb 11 (Reuters) Phil Mickelson defied the worst weather of the week to hold a share of the third-round lead with Kevin Sutherland at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Masters champion Mickelson fired a two-under-par 70 in strong winds at Spyglass Hill Golf Club, one of three venues being used for the PGA Tour event.

That left him at 14-under 202, level with fellow American Sutherland who carded a flawless five-birdie 67 at Poppy Hills Golf Club.

Rookie John Mallinger returned a 68 at Poppy Hills to lie third at 13 under, with Tour veterans Corey Pavin (67) and Davis Love III (70) a further four strokes behind in a tie for fourth.

Mickelson, bidding for his first title of the year after an erratic start to the 2007 PGA Tour, was in upbeat mood after a round that included four birdies and two bogeys.

''I drove the ball well and I'm really excited about my chances tomorrow,'' the left-hander told reporters.

''I'm driving it about as well as I ever have and I've been able to get very aggressive into the pins because I've been playing from the fairway almost every hole.'' DIFFICULT CONDITIONS ''Those were the most difficult conditions of the three days that I've experienced,'' Mickelson added. ''The last two holes the rain started coming in but the wind was pretty strong the whole day.'' Champion here in 1998 and 2005, Mickelson took advantage of relatively calm morning conditions to claim the outright lead with a birdie at the par-five 11th, his second hole of the day.

He picked up another shot at the par-four 17th before reaching the turn at 14 under, two ahead of the chasing pack.

Although he bogeyed the par-four fourth after finding a fairway bunker off the tee, he recovered with further birdies at the sixth, where he struck his approach to within six feet flag of the flag, and seventh.

As the strengthening wind began to buffet the picturesque Monterey Peninsula, Mickelson also dropped at the par-four eighth before signing off with a regulation par at the ninth.

Former US Open champion Pavin, runner-up here in 1991 and 1994, shot a bogey-free 67 at the hosting Pebble Beach Golf Links to vault into contention at nine under.

''The weather was all over the place today,'' the 47-year-old American said. ''We had some dicey conditions earlier, then it was okay and then it got windy.

STRONG WIND ''On 18, I think that's probably about as strong a wind as I've ever played in out here,'' Pavin added.

''It always helps when you've seen the course in different conditions and you understand what you can and can't do.'' Among the other big names, world number two Jim Furyk battled to a 76 at Pebble Beach while 2004 champion Vijay Singh carded a 71 over the same layout.

Furyk, co-leader with Mickelson at at the start of the day, dropped five shots after the turn in driving wind and rain to slide backwards into a tie for sixth place at eight under.

Fijian Singh, who closed in on the lead with five birdies in the first 16 holes, lost ground with a bogey, double-bogey finish to lie joint 13th at six under.

The third-round cut fell at one-under 215, with 60 professionals in the 179-strong field qualifying for today's final round on the Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Among those missing out were former major winners John Daly, Justin Leonard, Mike Weir and Steve Jones and British world number eight Luke Donald.

REUTERS DKS BST0725