Phil Mickelson hit a 3-under 69 but he couldn't shake Nick Watney, who finished off a 67 with a tough par save on the 18th hole to share the lead after three rounds of the CA Championship on Saturday. They were at 16-under 200, with no one else closer than four shots. Mickelson had birdie putts inside 12 feet on eight consecutive holes – including a tee shot on the par-3 13th that rolled against the flag stick and stopped a foot away – until a wild tee shot on the 17th hole led to bogey. Watney, who won at San Diego a month ago, stayed in the game with two good bunker saves and a delicate chip to 3 feet after flirting with the water on the 18th hole. Tiger Woods was thrilled with how he hit the ball, disgusted with his putting, and had to settle for a 68 that left him nine shots behind. “The best I've hit it in a long time,” Woods said. “Granted, I haven't played in a long time, but still.” This is his first stroke-play tournament since winning the US Open last summer. Woods had season-ending knee surgery a week later. The leg appears to be better than ever, but his putting left him cursing under his breath on a steamy afternoon in Miami. Jeev Milkha Singh of India (68) and Camilo Villegas of Colombia (69) were tied for third at 12-under 212, and the group another shot behind included Jim Furyk (69), Kenny Perry (71) and Alvaro Quiros, the big-hitting Spaniard who had a 69. Woods said teenage Briton Rory McIlroy could take his crown as world number one. “The guy's a talent,” Woods said of the youngster from Northern Ireland. “We can all see it, the way he hits the golf ball, the way he putts, the way he can chip, get up and down. “He has the composure. He has all of the components to be the best in the world, there's no doubt. It's just a matter of time and experience in big events. That takes time and I mean, he's only 19,” Woods told reporters. The 33-year-old American, playing his best golf since returning from an eight-month layoff, said: “I am getting better each day, the feel of playing the game at this level is coming back,” said the 14-time major winner. “I had six lipouts the first two days and seven lipouts today for birdie, that's a lot and it is pretty frustrating.”
