The Daily Wrap-up, Round 3: WGC-HSBC Champions

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Phil Mickelson's reliable short game came in handy during Round 3 at Sheshan, where he took a two-shot lead.

SHANGHAI (AP) -- Tiger Woods stalled with pars. Phil Mickelson poured it on with birdies.

The back nine Saturday at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions changed names atop the leaderboard, as Mickelson made three birdies over the last five holes for a 5-under 67 that took him from a two-shot deficit to a two-shot lead over Woods and Nick Watney in the final World Golf Championships event of the year.

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Round 3 scores
Photos: Round 2
Third-round notebook
Transcript: Phil Mickelson
Transcript: Tiger Woods

What didn't change was the excitement level at Sheshan International, especially with what awaits on Sunday.

Mickelson and Woods will be in the final group Sunday for the first time since 2005, that famous "Duel at Doral," when Woods rallied from a two-shot deficit in the final round to win.

Mickelson, who was at 14-under 202, was the only player among the top 18 on the leaderboard Saturday to break 70. He made three birdies in his opening five holes and three birdies over his last five holes, his lone bogey coming at No. 9 that provided what he hopes is a good sign. Trapped in the bushes, Lefty inverted a wedge and blasted out right-handed to the fairway.

He hit a similar shot at Doral this year when he went on to win his first World Golf Championships event.

"I thought that might have been a good omen, even though it led to a bogey," Mickelson said.

Woods appeared to be in control with a 15-foot birdie putt on the 10th to build a two-shot lead. That was his last birdie of the round, however, as he twice missed good birdie chances in the final hour and closed out a frustrating round by hitting into the rough and the bunker on the par-5 18th and having to save par. He wound up with a 2-under 70.

"I didn't take advantage of the par 5s and 16, I hit it in there stiff and missed that one," Woods said. "Consequently, I was three shots worse. That's about right."

Woods and Mickelson also were paired in the final round at the Masters this year, when both lit up Augusta National with birdies until they ran out of holes. They also played together in the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship in 2007, which Mickelson won by four shots, although they weren't in the final group.

And they will have company Sunday.

Watney continued to fall farther back with a three-putt bogey on the 17th, but he finished with a bang. The 28-year-old rolled in a 50-foot eagle putt on the last hole for a 70 that left him tied with Woods, and it gave the first World Golf Championships event in Asia an All-American -- for that matter, an all-Californian -- final group.

"I thought I played pretty well overall, considering it was my first time playing with Tiger in a tournament, and I was happy that I was able to concentrate and play the shots I needed to play," Watney said. "Hopefully, at only two back, I might have a shot at the tournament, and I really can't wait."

Ryan Moore, who played alongside Woods and Watney, had a 70 and was at 11-under 205.

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Tiger Woods will play in the final group on Sunday, but he will start two shots back.

The best round belonged to Lee Westwood, who leads the Race to Dubai on the European Tour and did himself a huge favor by running off eight birdies in his 65. Westwood was at 10-under 206, and now can consider winning his first World Golf Championships event.

"This is a golf course that you can make up a lot of shots over a round," Westwood said.

Mickelson didn't have to make up that many, starting only one shot out of the lead. He was briefly tied for the lead on a couple of occasions with birdies early in the round, then seemed to stall on the back nine.

He came to life in the final hour, however. It started with a lob wedge he had to throw up into the strong wind, leaving him a 6-foot birdie putt. Then came a drive he smashed through the fairway at the 15th, giving him only a 9-iron to 15 feet and another birdie that had Mickelson singing on the way to the next tee, "Somebody's got his putter back."

He missed opportunities on the next two holes, then finished with a pitch that brought an enormous gallery surrounding the 18th green to its feet. Woods had a good view of it all in the group behind him, but he couldn't answer.

The last time they competed against each other was THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola six weeks ago, when Mickelson won at East Lake with newfound confidence in his putting stroke, and Woods captured his second FedExCup trophy.

Only one trophy is at stake on Sunday.

"I know we are both looking forward to it," Mickelson said. "I think it will be a fun day, and we're excited to be playing in the last group here in China."

WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS-HSBC CHAMPIONS: ROUND 3 NOTEBOOK
By Joel Schuchmann, PGA TOUR Staff

• Woods and Mickelson will play in final group in final round for the first time since the 2005 Ford Championship at Doral, won by Woods. Mickelson entered the final round with a two-stroke lead over Woods, shot 69 and lost by one as Woods posted a 66.

• Mickelson and Woods have been paired together 24 times in official PGA TOUR-sanctioned events. Woods has scored better in 12 of those rounds, Mickelson eight, and they have shot the same score four times. In final rounds, they have been paired together seven times previously.

• Mickelson, the 2007 HSBC Champions winner, has carded rounds of 69-66-67 to take a two-shot lead over Tiger Woods and Nick Watney after 54 holes.

• Mickelson has won five tournaments in his career during which Tiger Woods finished in second place or tied for second -- the most of any player. Mickelson led by two in 2007 when he won this event, although it took two holes of a sudden-death playoff to do so.

• Woods is a six-time winner on the PGA TOUR in 2009 and is making his third appearance at the HSBC Champions, but the first since 2006. He finished as runner-up in both appearances (2005, 2006).

• Of Woods' 71 PGA TOUR wins, 20 have come when he was trailing heading into the final round. His most recent come-from-behind win came at this year's World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. He was three shots down to Padraig Harrington entering the final round, shot 65 on Sunday and won by four. In all, Woods' has won five of the 13 stroke-play World Golf Championships when trailing to start the final round.

Click here for more notes from the third round.