Sunday 5 March 2017 07:28, UK
Phil Mickelson had an eventful third round at the WGC-Mexico Championship, requiring several different conversations with rules officials along the way.
The 46-year-old carded an up-and-down 68 at Chapultepec Golf Club, keeping within two strokes of 54-leader Justin Thomas.
Mickelson chipped in twice in his first four holes before cancelling out a bogey at the fifth with a gain at the ninth to reach the turn in 33.
The first contentious moment then came at the par-four 10th, where Mickelson sprayed a wild drive way wide of the fairway and couldn't find his ball.
Mickelson was set to lose a shot for his stray blow, only for a spectator to say he had seen a ball picked up by a fellow fan from the area being searched and entitle him to a few drop.
After saving par at the 10th, the rules officials were called again at the next two holes when stray drives gave Mickelson an extremely difficult lies under bushes.
Mickelson received a free drop on both occasions, after convincing rules official Slugger White that he would have been forced to stand on a sprinkler to take the shot he wanted.
"I know it looks bad. I'm just telling you that's the truth," Mickelson told White, who said he would have to take the golfer at his word.
The American only dropped one shot at the 12th and responded with a hat-trick of birdies from the 15th, before leaving his approach short at the last on his way to a bogey-five.
"I had a complete meltdown and lost all focus in my game for a nine-hole stretch," Mickelson said after his round. "I fought hard and showed a lot of heart trying to just stay in it."
Did the officials make the correct decisions? Tweet your views in to @SkySportsGolf.
