Phil Mickelson topped the leaderboard for the third straight day after a bogey-free round of 66 on Saturday to maintain a two-shot lead at the Desert Classic.

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LA QUINTA, Calif. – Jon Rahm will need another final-round comeback if he wants to win the Desert Classic for a second consecutive year. Rahm shot 68 at PGA West’s Stadium Course on Saturday. At 16-under 196 (66-66-68), he is six shots behind 54-hole leader Phil Mickelson. Rahm made eight birdies Saturday but also had two bogeys. “It was good,� Rahm said. “I would say it was a B, B-plus. … The first five holes is what cost me, going 1 over par on those holes, hitting it pretty good. It was the one part of the course that if I had shot 1 or 2 under like you can, it would have been a great round.� Rahm started his round with four consecutive pars before hitting his second shot on the par-5 fifth hole into the water and making bogey. He birdied his next two holes, though. The Stadium Course will host the Desert Classic’s final round Sunday. Large swings are possible on the water-lined fairways of the Pete Dye design, but Mickelson has just one over-par hole thus far this week. He made double-bogey in the second round after hitting his approach into the water on the Nicklaus Tournament Course’s 18th hole. Mickelson shot a bogey-free 66 at the Stadium Course on Saturday. “I’m going to need to play really well and I’m going to need the leaders to have a slow start, but anything can happen,� said Rahm, who’s 69th in the FedExCup standings. Southern California has been the site of Rahm’s two TOUR wins. He overcame a final-round deficit in each win, as well. Rahm was three behind when he started the final round of the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open. He won by three shots after shooting a 65 that included eagles on Torrey Pines’ two back-nine par-5s. He was two back after the first three rounds of last year’s Desert Classic. He shot 67 on Sunday, then beat Andrew Landry in a playoff.

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LA QUINTA, Calif. – USC freshman Charlie Reiter missed the Desert Classic’s cut by a shot, but he made some history before departing from his hometown event. Reiter shot 63 to set the tournament course record at PGA West’s Stadium Course. It’s also believed to be the second-lowest round by an amateur in TOUR history. Only Patrick Cantlay’s 60 in the 2011 Travelers Championship was lower. Reiter played his first 36 holes this week in 1 over par but made eight birdies and an eagle Saturday (as well as one bogey). He hit a 227-yard 5-iron to 12 feet to make 3 on the Stadium Course’s par-5 fifth hole. “I was just trying to make as many birdies as I could,� Reiter said. “Every time I made a birdie, I was just trying to make one more and get closer and closer to the cut.� He finished at 8-under 208 (75-70-63). This is the second consecutive year that Reiter, an alum of nearby Palm Desert High, has played the Desert Classic. A 77 on the Stadium Course last year ended his chances of making the 54-hole cut. He started the third round in 67th place. He shot 215 (68-70-77) last year. Reiter, 19, led the field in driving distance this week, averaging 319 yards per tee shot. He is 69th in Golfweek’s individual college rankings. He has already made the cut in one pro event, finishing T65 at the 2017 Australian Open. He earned a spot in that event by winning a junior tournament supported by PGA TOUR player Aaron Baddeley.

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Lydia Ko and Eun-Hee Ji share the lead at the winners-only LPGA Tour season opener in Florida.

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LA QUINTA, Calif. – Canadians flock to the California desert this time of year to escape the cold and snow. Hadwin comes here to chase PGA TOUR titles. He’s in contention at the Desert Classic for a fourth consecutive year after shooting 65 on Saturday at PGA West’s Nicklaus Tournament Course. It continues an incredible stretch for Hadwin at this event. He has finished no worse than sixth at this event in the past three years. He is 20 under par this week, matching his career-low with a 54-hole score of 196 (65-66-65). He was bogey-free Saturday after missing just two fairways and two greens. “I don’t want to say ho-hum, because golf can never really quite be like that, but it was as stress-free as possible,� he said. “A couple putts went in on the back nine and here I am having a chance again on Sunday.� Ever since the Desert Classic went to its current configuration of courses – PGA West’s Stadium and Nicklaus Tournament courses and La Quinta Country Club – in 2016, Hadwin has started the final round within three shots of the lead. He was the 54-hole leader in 2017 after shooting 59 at La Quinta Country Club but shot 72 in the final round, matching his highest score at this event. He is 79 under in his past 15 rounds at the Desert Classic. Ten of those rounds are 67 or lower. On Saturday, Hadwin was just 1 under par for the first six holes, but birdied half of his remaining holes. “I was playing one of the easier golf courses, so I knew I had to keep the pedal down,� Hadwin said. “And, again, it was kind of a slow-ish start, but I’ve done that the first three rounds now and then just kind of caught fire midway.� He is seeking his second TOUR win and a second consecutive appearance in the Presidents Cup. He won the Valspar Championship in 2017 and played for the International Team later that year at Liberty National. “When you get up into a position near the top of the leaderboard, nerves kick in and adrenaline an all that, so it’s just a matter of controlling that,� he said. “So far, through three rounds I’ve been doing a good job of it.�

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