Article by Ron Green Jr. of Global Golf Post – On Sunday that brought rain, cold, a hailstorm and two weather delays, Mickelson played brilliantly at Pebble Beach to put himself within two holes of winning his 44th PGA tour event.

Mickelson led Paul Casey and Scott Stallings by three strokes when play was suspended due to darkness Sunday at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The final round was scheduled to resume Monday at 8 a.m. PT, with Mickelson on the tee at the par-3 17th hole.

In a tournament he has won four times previously, Mickelson was nearly flawless Sunday, charging from behind with six birdies while Caesu was unable to maintain his 54-hole lead.

Racing darkness after two delays totaling more than three hours, Mickelson pushed to finish the tournament but Casey, who along with amateur partner Don Collerson is leading the pro-am competition, declined to continue.

“I get exactly where Paul is coming from,” Mickelson said. “It’s dark. We’re going to come out on fresh greens. I totally get it.

“I have pretty good vision and I’m playing well and I wanted to continue.”

Casey left himself a 3-foot par putt on the 16th green to stay within three strokes of Mickelson.

“We weren’t going to get (No.) 18 done,” Casey said. “I didn’t putt on 16 because I’m going to get fresh greens.

“The guy who’s on a hot streak wants to keep going, the guy who isn’t doesn’t want to.”

Casey brought a three-stroke lead into the final round but the advantage came with an asterisk – he had failed to win in the three previous events when he took into the closing 18 holes.

It’s on the verge of happening again.

Casey couldn’t generate positive momentum once play finally got underway Sunday but he maintained the lead through most of the front nine. In the middle part of the round, however, Mickelson’s flurry of birdies coincided with Casey’s increasingly ragged play.

On the 10th tee, Casey still had a one-stroke advantage but couldn’t stop his lead from melting away.

Mickelson pulled even with a birdie at the 10th. Then Casey began to self-destruct. Casey airmailed the 11th green with his approach shot, leading to a bogey that dropped him one behind. Then he failed to save par from a bunker at the 12th hole and Mickelson’s advantage expanded to two.

“He played a phenomenal round of golf. Six-under par is really spectacular stuff,” Casey said.

While the attention focused on Mickelson and Casey, Stallings played his way into contention, shooting 66 to post 15-under par, keeping the pressure on Mickelson.

“I’ve never seen hail on the course before,” Stallings said. “That was something new for me. I’m happy to see some of the hard work I’ve been doing show up when it needs to.”

What’s in the Bag

Driver: Callaway Rogue Sub Zero (9 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100

3-wood: Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero (13.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Fubuki J 80X

Irons: Callaway X Forged UT (3), Callaway Epic Pro (4), Callaway X Forged 18 (5), Callaway Apex MB 18 (6-PW)
Shafts: KBS Tour V 125

Wedges: Callaway Mack Daddy PM Grind 19 (54, 60, 64 degrees)
Shafts: KBS Tour V 125

Putter: Odyssey Versa No. 9 White
Grip: SuperStroke Slim 3.0

Grips: Golf Price MCC

Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X (with Triple Track Technology)

Republished with permission from Global Golf Post