Kiawah Island, South Carolina:

Out of nowhere, Phil Mickelson has gone from underdog to potential PGA Championship winner for the first time since 2005. Sure, Phil Mickelson has always been a household name across the sports world, but at age 50, Phil Mickelson still has it. For the first time in years, Phil Mickelson looks like the Phil Mickelson of old. He’s hitting shots that golf fans have been waiting on him to hit for years, and honestly, it feels right.

Sure, the young guys are fun to watch, and the future of golf is bright, but there’s just something about a Major weekend with Phil Mickelson in the contention that brings the golf world together unlike any other player on tour.

So what does Phil Mickelson have to do to keep the young guys away? Honestly, like any other golfer, Lefty needs to go out on Saturday and continue to play the same style of golf that has gotten him to this point in the tournament on Thursday and Friday. If he hits a bad shot, oh well, move on and win the mental battle and continue to play Phil Mickelson golf.

Here’s the truth, and it doesn’t take a golf person to understand this. Moments like these don’t happen often. With everything that has happened across the country over the last year and a half, a win this weekend from Phil Mickelson could bring a new sense of hope and excitement for the entire sports world. Everybody needs an underdog turned superhero to root for, and Lefty has brought that over the last two days and will continue to do so as long as he’s in contention to win the PGA Championship.

Phil Mickelson will tee-off Saturday afternoon in the final pairing with Louis Oosthuizen out of South Africa. Third-round coverage of the PGA Championship can be viewed on your local CBS station.