Mickelson shot a one-under 69 on Saturday to get to two-over-par 212 through three rounds at the U.S. Open, good for a share of the lead with European Tour regular Kenneth Ferrie.

"The only place I'd rather be is maybe leading by two shots," said Mickelson, who was one of only two players to break par Saturday at tough Winged Foot.

Mickelson played his front nine at plus-one, but was two-under on the back nine with two birdies. The gallery around the 18th green anticipated another birdie from their favorite player, but Mickelson missed a tough 10-foot putt there.

The 69 was Mickelson's first round under par this week. Asked what score he was looking for on Sunday, he simply stated, "Hopefully the lowest score," and then laughed.

"This is a very hard golf course," Mickelson said. "But it's a very fun test to challenge yourself at the highest level."

Ferrie, the 102nd-ranked player in the world, shot a 71 in his third round. He missed a four-foot par putt at the 18th that would have given him the lead alone, but afterwards was satisfied with how he played.

"I just heard Phil saying that (the U.S. Open) is the biggest test in golf of every part of your game," Ferrie said. "I wouldn't say I passed yet, but I'm kind of well on my way to getting a decent grade."

A two-time winner on the European Tour, Ferrie is playing in his first U.S. Open. It isn't hard to believe his playing partner tomorrow has never met him.

"I don't know him," Mickelson admitted, "but he's in the final group at the U.S. Open, so he must be a good player."

Australian Geoff Ogilvy shot a 72 and is one shot back of the leaders at three- over-par 213.

Overnight leader Steve Stricker stumbled to a 76 and shares fourth place with Vijay Singh (70), Colin Montgomerie (75) and Ian Poulter (70) at five-over-par 215.

Jim Furyk, the 2003 U.S. Open winner, and Padraig Harrington played together and shot matching 74s. They are tied for eighth place with Mike Weir, who carded a 71.

In all, there are 13 players within five shots of the lead heading into Sunday.

That number is probably too much to make up on this course, where world No. 1 Tiger Woods missed his first cut as a professional Friday after two dreadful rounds.

Woods' exit left Mickelson as the top star here for the weekend, although it's debatable whether he was the biggest star here anyway. The New York-area crowds love him that much.

Mickelson gave his devotees a chipping display at the par-four second when he knocked it within inches to save par after hitting a tree on his approach.

He fell to plus-four when a bad flop shot led to bogey at the par-three third, but then got to two-over with birdies at Nos. 4 and 6.

At the par-four sixth, Mickelson's short game skills were on display again when he nearly holed out from a greenside bunker on the way to that birdie.

Mickelson gave shots back with consecutive bogeys from the eighth to make the turn at four-over, but then turned it on.

On the back nine, he thrilled the crowd with birdies at the 14th and 16th holes. His curling, 18-foot birdie putt at 16 moved him to two-over.

At the par-four finishing hole, Mickelson's approach from the fairway would have landed in a greenside bunker had it traveled another yard or so.

After watching playing partner Graeme McDowell chip up the green twice, only to see it roll off the front both times, Mickelson rolled his birdie try wide along the right edge and finished with par.

"On the back nine I came together, started hitting shots," said Mickelson, who won his first major at Augusta two years ago and then won back-to-back majors at the 2005 PGA Championship and this year's Masters.

"(Tomorrow) I am just going to try and make a lot of pars, and maybe a birdie here and there," he added.

Ferrie was tied for third place overnight at plus-one. He got to even-par at the par-three third when he rolled in a mid-range, left-to-right putt for a birdie.

A bogey at the fourth was followed by an eagle at the fifth, where Ferrie knocked his second shot within 18 inches to get himself under par. He bogeyed the ninth, but was still in the lead at even-par.

A missed 12-foot putt at the 13th led to another bogey and dropped Ferrie to one-over. After four straight pars, Ferrie landed his approach at the 18th on the back fringe -- a few steps further back than Mickelson's second shot moments earlier.

He rolled his birdie putt too long, then missed a short comebacker for par.

"If anybody saw that flag today -- I'm kind of thinking anybody long on that flag is going to do well with two (putts)," Ferrie said. "It was just one of those things."

A lot of players had similar "oops" moments on Saturday.

Ogilvy was tied for the lead on the back nine, but stumbled to a three-putt bogey at the 13th and another bogey at the 14th to fall back. Stricker saved par from a bunker at the par-three third when he knocked it within inches, but at the sixth his approach hit a tree and he bogeyed the hole.

Furyk also hit a tree with an approach shot in the third round. But no player near the top of the leaderboard had more gaffes Saturday than Montgomerie.

After beginning the round in second place, one shot behind Stricker at even- par, Montgomerie went five-over through his first four holes Saturday.

At the par-three third, Montgomerie found the rough behind a bunker, duffed a flop shot into that bunker, and then two-putted for a double-bogey.

Three holes later at the par-four sixth, Montgomerie would find the rough and a bunker for the second time in four holes, ending with a bogey.

Trevor Immelman and Luke Donald both shot 70s in the third round to move to remain at seven-over-par. They share 11th place with Peter Hedblom (71), Bart Bryant (73) and Arron Oberholser (74).

Hedblom had the shot of the day -- an ace with a three-iron at the 216-yard third hole. The 40th hole-in-one in U.S. Open history bounced several times before the green before rolling into the cup.

"The people were screaming. It was very special," Hedblom said.

Two holes later, the Swede rolled in a long putt for another eagle at the par- five fifth.

"I was looking pretty good right there," Hedblom added.