Phil Mickelson tees off on the second hole during the third round of the Nissan Open. Mickelson shot a 69 on Saturday in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles ? Phil Mickelson looked unbeatable until a 30-inch putt spun around the rim of the cup, giving him the first of three bogeys on the back nine that cost him a cushion, but ultimately not the lead, Saturday in the Nissan Open.

Mickelson got up-and-down for birdie on the par-5 17th and shot 2-under 69 in the steamy sunshine at Riviera, giving him a one-shot lead over Padraig Harrington (70) as he tries to win for the second straight week.

“I was tied for the lead yesterday. I’ve got a one-shot lead today. So, it’s getting better,” said Mickelson, who was at 13-under 200. “It wasn’t the lead I wanted, but it’s getting better.”

Mickelson will be in the final group with Harrington and Rich Beem, who delivered the theatrics by making a hole-in-one on the 14th hole that sent him leaping atop the red sports car that he won for his ace. More than getting a new car, Beem suddenly has a chance at his first trophy since the 2002 PGA Championship at Hazeltine.

Beem shot the best round of the day, a 6-under 65, and was only two shots behind.

“I was thinking I won a car, and it was going to cost me an awful lot in the bar later on,” Beem said of his ace, a 7-iron from 179 yards that took a high hop and plunged into the cup. “I wasn’t thinking about picking up two shots on the field or anything.”

Former Nissan Open champion Robert Allenby (68) and Charles Howell III (69) were another shot behind, setting up a typical Sunday off Sunset Boulevard when several players have a chance.

“I’m happy to be three adrift,” Allenby said. “Three or four shots is not much around this place.”

That’s due to Mickelson, who one minute looked as though he might run away from the field, and in a span of five holes came charging right back with a couple of missed putts and one wild swing on the par-3 16th.

“Myself and Phil basically brought a lot of people back into the tournament,” Harrington said. “Whoever plays the best tomorrow will probably win the tournament. But it’s a half-dozen guys instead of two.”

Indeed, a half-dozen players were right behind them, which includes Ernie Els (67), Jim Furyk (67) and Sergio Garcia (69) only four shots behind at 9-under 204. Mickelson thought as many as 15 players still had a chance.

“It was a beautiful day. There were a lot of low rounds,” he said. “If me and Padraig had shot one, we’d probably have pulled away.”

Creamer wins LPGA event

Kahuku, Hawaii – Paula Creamer won the LPGA Tour’s season-opening SBS Open for her first victory since 2005, holding off Julieta Granada by a stroke. The 20-year-old Creamer closed with a 2-under 70 for a 9-under 207 total and earned $165,000 for her third LPGA Tour title. In 2005 as a rookie, she won two LPGA Tour titles and also took two tournaments in Japan.

Bean, Levi tied at top

Lutz, Fla. – Andy Bean shot a 4-under 67 in cold and windy conditions for a share of the lead with Wayne Levi in the suspended second round of the Champions Tour’s Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am. Levi shot a 69, finishing in near darkness, to match Bean at 4-under 138 on the TPC Tampa Bay. Levi holed a pitching wedge shot from 118 yards for eagle on the par-4 10th – his first hole of the day.

Three share Jacob’s lead

Adelaide, Australia – American Scott Sterling shot a 6-under 66 for a share of the third-round lead in the Jacob’s Creek Open. Australia’s David Lutterus also had a 66, and countryman Peter Senior shot a 69 to join Sterling at 11-under 205.