Mickelson in good position to post second straight victory

Phil Mickelson looked unbeatable until a 30-inch putt spun around the rim of the cup, giving him the first of three bogeys on the back nine that cost him a cushion, but ultimately not the lead, Saturday in the Nissan Open in Los Angeles.

Mickelson got up-and-down for birdie on the par-5 17th and shot 2-under 69 in the steamy sunshine at Riviera, giving him a one-shot lead over Padraig Harrington (70) as he tries to win for the second straight week.

“I was tied for the lead yesterday. I’ve got a one-shot lead today. So, it’s getting better,” said Mickelson, who was at 13-under 200. “It wasn’t the lead I wanted, but it’s getting better.”

Mickelson will be in the final group with Harrington and Rich Beem, who is two strokes off the lead and delivered the theatrics by making a hole-in-one on the 14th hole that sent him leaping atop the red sports car that he won for his ace. Beem suddenly has a chance at his first trophy since the 2002 PGA Championship at Hazeltine.

Former Pullman resident Kirk Triplett shot a 73 to finish at 213.

Champions Tour

Andy Bean shot a 4-under 67 in cold and windy conditions for a share of the lead with Wayne Levi in the second round of the Champions Tour’s Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am in Lutz, Fla.

Levi shot a 69, finishing in near darkness, to match Bean at 4-under 138 on the TPC Tampa Bay. Levi holed a pitching wedge shot from 118 yards for eagle on the par-4 10th – his first hole of the day. The ball bounced once, skipped, then spun back in.

LPGA

Paula Creamer won the LPGA Tour’s season-opening SBS Open in Kahuku, Hawaii for her first victory since 2005, handling the whipping wind to hold off Julieta Granada by a stroke.

The 20-year-old Creamer closed with a 2-under 70 for a 9-under 207 total.

Karrie Webb closed with a 70 to finish third at 6 under.

Rathdrum native Tracy Hanson (73) finished at 218.

Wendy Ward, of Edwall, Wash., shot a 77 to close with 220.