LOS ANGELES — Phil Mickelson was in contention for the first time all year and wanted to make sure he stayed there.

Moments after signing his scorecard following Friday's second round — nine shots worse than his opening round — he called Butch Harmon in Las Vegas and asked if he could meet him on the range yesterday morning at Riviera.

The work paid off in a big way at the Northern Trust Open.

Mickelson made four consecutive birdies in the final hour of the third round to pull away from a strong leaderboard with a 9-under 62, topping his personal best at Riviera he had set two days earlier and building a four-shot lead going into the final round.

"He's pretty good at what he does," Mickelson said. "Having him be able to be right there and identify it was nice."

Lefty had a chance to tie the course record until his 10-foot birdie on the 18th hole was struck too hard and missed above the hole, but that was no reason to complain. He was at 16-under 197, four shots clear of Andres Romero.

A parabola could be used to diagram his first three days — 63-72-62. All that matters to Mickelson is that after a sluggish start to his West Coast Swing, he believes he's headed down the right path.

"I feel like — I don't want to say back on track — but I have a direction of where I want to go, and my iron play was much, much better because of it," he said.

Romero did his part to keep close with birdies on his last three holes that he called "close to perfect," giving him a 65. He will need a big round, but the Argentine has shown he is capable. He made 10 birdies in 16 holes two years ago in the final round at Carnoustie, the toughest links in the British Open rotation.

"I have a lot of confidence in the putter, just like when I made those 10 birdies at Carnoustie," he said. "I am four shots behind Mickelson, the defending champion. It's a tough job, but I will try to do my best. It's not against him, it's against the course. And if I play good against the course, maybe I have a chance."

They will be joined in the last group by Fred Couples, who shot a 65 and was in a group of four at 202.

Hawai'i's Dean Wilson, a Castle High alum, carded a 67 and was at 205.

ACE GROUP CLASSIC

JONES LEADS CHAMPIONS

NAPLES, Fla. — Gene Jones shot a 2-under 70 yesterday to take a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Champions Tour's ACE Group Classic.

Jones, looking for his first Champions Tour victory, made a 15-footer for birdie to get to 4-under 140 at TPC Treviso Bay, giving him the highest score to lead in Naples since the tournament's second year in 1989.

"I rolled that baby right in, and it felt great, to be honest with you," he said. "It was a good way to end the day."

Jones never made it on the PGA Tour, but prepared for the Champions Tour by winning 19 times in three years on the Sunbelt Senior Tour.

Loren Roberts (71), the 2006 winner, Don Pooley (73) and James Mason (67) were tied for second.

Vicente Fernandez, who was tied for the first-round lead, bogeyed four of his first five holes on the back nine, and shot a 76. He was tied for 15th at even par.

JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC

TWO TIED IN AUSTRALIA

PERTH, Australia — England's Ross McGowan shot a 7-under 65 in 104-degree heat for a share of the third-round lead with countryman John Bickerton in the Johnnie Walker Classic.

Bickerton had a 66 to match McGowan at 14-under 202 on The Vines Resort's composite course.

New Zealand amateur Danny Lee, the U.S. Amateur champion, shot a 69 to join France's Raphael Jacquelin (66), Chile's Felipe Aguilar (68) and Australia's Terry Pilkadaris (68) at 12 under in the event sanctioned by the Australasian, European, Asian tours.

American Anthony Kim, two strokes out of the lead after the second round, had a 9 on the par-5 third and finished with a 75 to fall from a tie for sixth to a tie for 46th at 5-under 211. Second-round co-leader Anthony Kang, the American who won the Malaysian Open last week, also was at 211 after a 77.