U.S. OPEN

Birdie: Phil Mickelson. Luckily for Mickelson, reporters didn’t ask him to go through his third-round card to describe his birdies and bogeys. It would have taken him a long time, possibly extending into the dinner hour.

Mickelson made seven birdies, four bogeys and a double. His one-under 69 was a thrill ride at a championship in which pars are treasured.

“It was an up-and-down round,” Mickelson said. “I was fighting to keep it under par. I’m making enough birdies to go five or six under, but I also made some dumb mistakes.” His biggest faux pas came on No. 6, a par four of 408 yards. After a poor approach left him semi-embedded in the lip of a bunker, Mickelson eased off on his third shot.

“Had I ripped through that rough, I would have risked going over the green,” he said. “But I could have gotten up and down from there.” Instead he needed a chip and two putts to complete the hole with a double-bogey six. But Mickelson closed like Mine That Bird at the Kentucky Derby, finishing birdie-par-birdie. He made a 35-footer on No. 18 to produce some serious roars.

“The crowds here are incredible,” he said.

For his efforts, we’ll give Mickelson a birdie -- and a bogey.

Bogey: Tiger Woods. What’s with leaving all those birdie putts short? And don’t protest that the greens are slow. They’ve been that way all week. Adjust.

Birdie: Bubba Watson. The big-hitting lefty from Florida posted a third-round 67 and was asked whether he’s in “Tiger’s wave” -- i.e., his side of the draw. “No,” Watson replied. “He’s in my wave.”

Bogey: Rocco Mediate. The unofficial runner-up to Mickelson in crowd love turned in a third-round 79.

Birdie: The USGA. OK, so nobody wanted the Open to spill into today. And that became inevitable after USGA officials delayed the start of Sunday’s play to 11:54 a.m. EDT. But they needed time to get the course game-ready, and the way it looks now, not even a playoff would take this into Tuesday. We hope.

Bogey: Mike Weir. He has the game to win an Open, but he won’t do it if he hits four fairways and needs 33 putts, as he did during his four-over third round.

Birdie: Ross Fisher. Not only did the Brit fire a third-round 69, he said if his wife delivers a baby during a major, he’ll leave the golf course immediately. Hey, can’t you be sentimental on Father’s Day?

-- Teddy Greenstein