Oh BTW, Phil Shoots 63, Trails By Two Strokes

Overshadowed by the latest rules brouhaha, generally slow starter Phil Mickelson picked up where he left off last year with a third round 63 at the HSBC in Abu Dhabi, leaving him two back and in fine shape to start the year on a strong note.

But it wasn't without a little overruling of his caddie Jim MacKay on the 18th, for which Mickelson made the rare player-acknowledgement of poor decision making. From the Belfast Telegraph's story:

Mickelson made the halfway cut with just one shot to spare after rounds of 73 and 70, but insisted on Friday he had "a good, low round in me tomorrow" and was as good as his word, carding nine birdies, an eagle and two bogeys.

His last birdie on the 18th came in typical Mickelson fashion, the Open champion attempting to reach the green in two from 230 yards away in a fairway bunker, only to hit a terrible shot into a sandy waste area, play a superb low pitch to 30ft and hole the putt.

"It was not a smart decision out of the bunker to go for the green, but I don't know, that's just what I do," joked Mickelson, who finished 10 under par to share second place with India's Gaganjeet Bhullar.

"Bones (his caddie Jim Mackay) did not like the decision and I don't blame him. It wasn't probably my smartest play.

"I hit a terrible shot but because it was sitting on a fairly hard, packed lie, I was able to go in steep and keep it low underneath the trees and I had plenty of green to work with."

He trails Craig Lee by two strokes.

Mickelson's interview after the round, courtesy of GolfChannel.com: