SAN DIEGO -- Phil Mickelson and Bill Haas are 12 under par and share the lead going into Sunday's final round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson, Anthony Kim and rookie Jhonattan Vegas are within three strokes as the sun-splashed week heads to the finish line.What could possibly be wrong with a tournament like that?
Funny you should ask.
Sitting adjacent to Torrey Pines golf complex is the Scripps Clinic. When a visitor to the medical center arrived this week for a scheduled doctor's appointment, she was confounded by signage in the parking lot that announced "NO ACCESS FOR FARMERS."
Clinic officials are now aware of a coming petition demanding that in the future they accept the area's farm workers for treatment.
Meanwhile, over at the golf tournament, the final-day leaderboard discriminates against only those who are not knocking in birdies by the bushel -- one of them being Tiger Woods.
"It will be an interesting day (Sunday), because Bill Haas is playing some great golf, and Bubba's got a lot of creativity, a lot of shot making as well as his length that will allow him to get to a lot of pins," Mickelson said. "I think it's going to be a good challenge tomorrow."
Mickelson, looking for his first victory since last April's Masters win was undercut by a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis, posted a third-round 68. Haas, a two-time tour winner and runner-up at last week's Bob Hope, carded 71.
One shot back of the co-leaders at 11 under are Mahan and Watson, both carding 69s, while Kim (71) is 10 under and Vegas, the rookie from Venezuela who won the Hope, trails by three after a 69. A group of six golfers, including Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson and Brandt Snedeker, are five back at 7 under.
"It's just another challenge that I'm looking forward to," Haas said. "If I keep playing well, I'm going to get to play with him a lot more hopefully. So should be fun."
It would be hard to put together a collection of final-day contenders with broader profiles.
Young, old, near and far.
Mickelson, 40, and ranked No. 5 in the world, is still hoping to make a run at the world No. 1 ranking he has never held.
And then there is Haas and the youngsters.
Even golf's Generation Next is represented by a broad brush stroke.
Kim, although sidelined much of last year by thumb surgery, has distinguished himself with boldness and a party mentality. Fowler, 2010 rookie of the year, has made a name with game and flash, identified by his neon-bright wardrobe, bucket cap and shaggy hair. And Haas?
"I'm 28, but bald," he said. "I don't look 20-something. I can't really pull off that look, so I'm happy with the regular slacks and solid colored shirts and flying under the radar as you say. Just trying to let my clubs do a little more talking than they've done in the past."
The son of Champions Tour player Jay Haas won twice in 2010 and last week lost in a playoff to Vegas as he attempted to defend at the Bob Hope Classic.
The only PGA Tour player ever from Venezuela, where leader Hugo Chavez expresses total disdain for the game, first learned to play by hitting rocks around the countryside. Last week he won, and now, after being paired with Woods Saturday, is contending again.
"I've always dreamed of being here," Vegas said. "I always knew that I had the opportunity to play here and play well. And so I'm just living my dream, just loving it, and having a great time and making a lot of birdies."
Woods, making his season debut, never made himself part of the day's story, bogeying three of his opening five holes and shooting 74 to rest 4 under and tied for 24th.
"No doubt, I did not play well at all today.," he said. "It was a struggle all day, and I finally found something at 16, but 15 holes already had gone by, so that was pretty frustrating."
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