Masters 2012: A Look Ahead at Phil Mickelson's Third-Round Projections

After a rough Thursday that had many fans wondering if he could even get it together enough to make the cut, PGA star Phil Mickelson is tied for eighth, just three strokes off the lead at the 2012 Masters at Augusta.

Mickelson’s rise through the leaderboard didn’t come without a lights-out Friday from Lefty: a pace he will have to maintain if he wants to beat a field stacked with the best in the business.

The three-time tournament champion and fan favorite has overcome his poor play to start the tournament to post an outstanding 68-shot score and catapult him into serious contention for a win this season.

The Augusta Chronicle is reporting about what Mickelson had to say following his stellar Friday round at the Masters and what’s still to come:

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I played well and shot something in the 60s that got me back in the tournament. I was hoping for one or two more under, but that birdie at 18 felt terrific. To only be three back heading into the weekend feels great, too… I feel like Saturday is the day you can really make your move. You kind of cherish the back nine and it’s exciting. But Saturday is the day you have got to play well to get yourself in position. This Saturday will be a critical day to get myself in a spot I don’t have to make up too much ground on the leaders.

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With so much importance on Saturday, the third round will be Lefty’s chance to make up the serious ground that has to be made up while the pressure is still fairly light. Mickelson has to do the leg work today to set up the power move for Sunday.

All of the experience at Augusta and at the Masters has given the former World’s No. 1 golfer an edge over many of the younger players. Mickelson knows when to go hard and when he can just play well enough to get by.

I expect the PGA star to shoot somewhere around 68 again on Saturday to put the pressure on the men at the top of the leaderboard.

Mickelson will not be forcing any bad shots on this course. While the players around him will start to crumble as the pressure beings to mount, Lefty will be in the perfect spot to sweep in under the radar and win the whole thing.

Three green jackets would look even better with a fourth next to them.

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