Mickelson continues fine form at Pebble Beach

After setting a course record in the first round, Phil Mickelson is not resting on his laurels.

Entering Friday’s second round with a three-shot lead, Mickelson has stretched his advantage to five shots at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Starting on the back nine at Poppy Hills, Mickelson birdied five of his first nine holes for a 31.

He is five-under through 10 and stands at 15-under for the tournament.

Charles Howell III, who is playing the Spyglass Hill course, is three-under through 10 holes and sits second at 10-under overall.

Mickelson, the 1998 champion here, is picking up where he left off last week, when he won the FBR Open by five strokes.

It was his first victory since the 2004 Masters and the largest margin of victory of his career.

Kevin Sutherland and Mike Weir are tied for fourth at eight-under.

Sutherland is one-under through 11 holes and Weir is two-under through 10.

The tournament is being played on three courses – Spyglass Hill, Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills, all par-72s. Pebble Beach will host the final round.

Already with a win under his belt this year, top-ranked Vijay Singh is making the first in a long line of title defences.

He is even through 16 after shooting a disappointing 73 at Spyglass on Thursday.

Singh’s win here last year was his first of the season and he went on to win nine times, including his second major at the PGA Championship.

The field features only four of the top 10 players in the world – Mickelson, Singh, Weir and Davis Love III.

Tiger Woods, Stuart Appleby and Justin Leonard, all winners this season, have not entered.