But it was only the third round, which is how both of them saw it.
"The great thing about today is it was not the last day," Mickelson said. "I know that obviously he's playing well, but because it was not the final round, I wasn't really concerned. I should be now -- I'm four back."
Woods wasted one chance earlier to take charge of the tournament.
He birdied the first two holes and twice made big par saves on the first five holes. After his approach ballooned into the wind and trickled just short of the rocks guarding the pond on No. 3, he pitched to 5 feet and made the putt. And after a gust knocked his ball into the bunker at No. 5, he blasted out to 10 feet and made another big putt.
It appeared as though he might pull away with a 340-yard drive on the par-5 eighth, followed by a 5-iron into 30 feet for a two-putt birdie that put him two shots ahead of Mickelson. But he dumped his 8-iron into the water on the par-3 ninth and made double bogey, bringing everyone back into the mix.
That changed with a 6-iron into 3 feet on the 13th -- the only birdie of the round on that par 3 -- a wedge from 153 yards into 10 feet on the 14th, and an 8-iron from 172 yards into 8 feet for his third straight birdie.
Equally important was his par on the final hole, one extra shot between Woods and those trying to catch him.
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