Phil Mickelson used the lightning strike of an 80-yard, pitch-in eagle to turn his game around and regain a share of the lead in the Northern Telecom Open.

"I was in trouble," Mickelson said Saturday after his comeback had restored a tie for the lead with Dudley Hart after 54 holes.Mickelson, who won this title as a 20-year-old amateur two years ago, and Hart shared the lead entering the day's play at the Tucson National.

But with Mickelson "hitting it all over the place," and Hart dropping a 20-foot eagle putt on the second hole, the situation quickly changed.

When the two walked off the 10th tee, Hart held a four-shot lead and the struggling Mickelson was in danger of dropping out of contention.

"I'm not playing well. I'm four shots back. And I'm in the trees with my second shot on 11," Mickelson said.

"That's when things turned around for me," he said.

They turned on an 8-iron shot sliced around the trees and into the cup for an eagle-3.

A chip-in birdie on the 14th narrowed the gap still more and when Hart took three from the fringe on the final hole they ended the day the way they started - in a tie for the lead.

Each shot 69 in the brisk breezes and each takes a 201 total, 15 under par, into the final round.

But they got there by different routes, Mickelson said.

"I played a round that kept me in it," Mickelson analyzed. "Dudley played a round that can win tournaments."

But he was quick to point out that it is entirely possible that neither will win in Sunday's final round of the chase for a $198,000 first prize.

Mickelson, who said he is rusty from a lengthy lay-off, pointed instead to Larry Mize, who had a third-round 70 and was alone in third at 204, three back.

"I don't think either Dudley or I are the favorite," Mickelson, who is starting his first full season as a pro in this tournament, said.

"Larry Mize has been there so often, he's won the Masters, he's a veteran. He knows how to win.

"If there's a favorite, I think it's Larry," Mickelson said.

Hart, who led through three rounds of this event a year ago then drifted back to fourth, took a different view.

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Mickelson, a three-time NCAA champ and former U.S. amateur champion who joined the pro tour with the gaudiest credentials since Jack Nicklaus, definitely has the upper hand, Hart said.

"He's already won, and he won here. I'm sure everybody will be pulling for him," Hart said.

"I haven't done that much yet, and nobody knows who I am, so I'm sure that if you call Las Vegas, they're giving me shots."

John Flannery, the 1992 Hogan Tour Player of the Year, first-round leader Billy Andrade and Greg Twiggs shared fourth place at 205.

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