Lefty's Lovefest 

For the second straight day, Phil Mickelson basked in the warm embrace of his enormous gallery on Friday at Baltusrol. The New York-area fans love him, Tim Dalhberg says, because there's nothing phony about the way he plays.

By Tim Dahlberg, AP Sports Columnist

SPRINGFIELD, N.J. (AP) -- Phil Mickelson loves the fans, loves the course, loves the area. What's not to love when you're leading the PGA Championship by three shots and every step you take is cheered by idolizing fans?

There was such a lovefest Friday at Baltusrol Golf Club that you half expected Mickelson to invite Vijay Singh out for a drink after the round.

OK, so maybe things weren't quite that rosy. But halfway into the final major of the season, Lefty certainly had plenty to be grinning about.

He grinned as he walked down the fairway talking NFL football with his caddie, Jim MacKay. He grinned when people yelled his name, and he kept grinning as long putts that seemingly had no chance of going in kept dropping into the hole.

If he keeps this up, he could have a lot more to grin about Sunday evening.

"It's just a great feeling," Mickelson said.

Those feelings weren't so great a few days ago. Singh complained that he wasn't appreciated by the media and fans because he was honest, and he suggested that Mickelson might be more image than substance.

"I'm not a fake like many guys out here," Singh said.

The two, of course, had a dustup in the champion's locker room at the Masters after Singh accused Mickelson of wearing spikes that were too long. And, as Singh noted, they don't go out for drinks together.

Maybe they should. Singh could certainly take some lessons from the way Mickelson works a crowd.

In Thursday's first round he traded celebratory high-fives with fans after hitting a wayward shot over their heads within 5 feet of the hole. On Friday, he made seven birdies, an eagle and thousands of new friends as he made his way down the fairways on his way to a 65 and a nice midway lead.

The goofy grin may be suspect, but there's never anything phony about the way Mickelson plays. He's up one minute and down the next, rolling in 40-footers and then missing 30-inchers. That was never more evident than when he eagled No. 18, his ninth hole of the day, only to cough the two strokes back up with a sloppy double-bogey on the next hole.

And there was nothing phony about the way fans treat him as an everyman, one of their own. They especially love him in the New York area, where he made a charge at Tiger Woods in the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Park and nearly won the Open last year before a disastrous 17th hole at Shinnecock Hills.

"C'mon, Phil. Tiger probably won't even show up today," a fan yelled after Mickelson hit his approach shot to the 18th hole.

Even Amy Mickelson wasn't off limits as she walked outside the ropes to share another day at the office with her husband.

"This is the best I've seen him play since he won the Masters," an excited fan ran up to tell Amy.

Singh, meanwhile, was plodding along a few groups behind, shooting a 67 of his own. He got some applause, but most of the cheers were saved for his playing partner, John Daly.

Mickelson pretended afterward not to understand why.

"I've never analyzed it," he said.

That's a bit hard to believe, considering Mickelson has opinions on almost everything and usually gives them freely. Ask him why the grass grows toward the setting sun and he'll explain it, then give his thoughts on the black hole in the universe.

On Friday, he was on the way to one of his best rounds under pressure ever and, even as fans yelled his name, he was explaining to MacKay the nuances of an NFL team having two good linebackers and what it might mean for the season.

Some things, however, have changed.

The old Mickelson never minded baring his soul to the media, whether it was over swing changes, his family or his failure to win a major championship before the Masters last year.

After his round Friday, his answers might have come from a script.

He was happy to be there, happy to get the support of the fans, happy with the food he and his family were eating and happy with the stores to shop in.

Asked about the cut shot that he's using off the tee here to keep the ball in the fairway, Mickelson suggested he might answer that after the week is over. Has he changed his regimen after poor showings in the first three majors this year? Good question, Mickelson allowed, but he didn't really want to answer it.

The fans who follow him this weekend probably don't care, as long as he keeps smiling.

Because, while his fellow pros may not always embrace him, Mickelson won the fans over long ago.

Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved.